With barely two weeks to go before Election Day, two just-completed surveys show freshman Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., facing a clear and present danger of defeat at the hands of Republican Mike Braun.
According to the Indy Politics poll conducted by Mason Strategies and released Wednesday morning, Braun actually leads incumbent Donnelly by 47 to 43 percent, with Libertarian Lucy Brenton drawing 3 percent.
The Indy Politics poll came barely 24 hours after SurveyUSA released a poll showing Donnelly edging Braun 41 to 40 percent among likely voters statewide. Libertarian Brenton had 8 percent of the vote, and the margin of error was 4.6 percent points.
In discussing Braun’s late momentum, several pundits have cited the “Kavanaugh Effect”—how voters felt about the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the tumultuous process surrounding his confirmation.
According to IndyPolitics, 35 percent said that Donnelly’s decision to oppose Kavanaugh made them “less likely” to support him while 30 percent made it “more likely” they would support him.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.