Thread by @jimstinson

🧵With the successful re-election of Rep. Larry Bucshon (R) in #IN08, he has become the first congressman in Indiana's 8th Congressional District to win a 7th consecutive term -- since 1932. (1)

"The Bloody 8th" used to be a swing district. It gets mentioned a lot by congressional historians. The Evansville-based district, which stretches to Terre Haute, was called the Bloody 8th because of its swing status, and its fierce battles. #IN08 #Midterms2022 (2)

The Indiana 8th was centered around #Evansville circa 1931. Southern Indiana Democrats were a strong force. They won the seat in 1932 and held it for 10 years. Thus began a decades-long battle for the Bloody Eighth, one that would draw the notice of Newt Gingrich. (3)

Even the congressman who held the seat longer than @DrLarryBucshon -- Winfield Denton (D) -- was defeated by a Republican during the Eisenhower tide of 1952. Denton won the seat back in 1954. He held it 16 years total. (4)

The other two contenders for the "Bloody 8th" record were recent. Frank McCloskey (D) held the seat for 12 years consecutively (kind of), 1983 to 1995. John Hostettler (R) did too, beating McCloskey, serving 1995 to 2007. (5)

The 1984 re-election sought by Frank McCloskey (D) changed House politics, some say. McCloskey lost, according to the Indiana secretary of state. The Republican, Richard McIntyre, was certified winner by 34 votes in #IN08. (6)

nytimes.com/1984/12/15/us/…

McCloskey challenged the results in the House, as is allowed. The Democrats controlled the House. But as they had to have hearings, they could not swear in anyone. McIntyre (R) was actually put on the House payroll, and was paid through May 1, 1985. (7)

A fuller recount showed McIntyre (R) up to a lead of 418 votes, according to CQ Press. Democrats, who voted to keep the seat vacant, kept looking into the race in the spring of '85. They declared McCloskey the winner by 4 votes. Republicans walked out. McCloskey was seated. (8)

TIME called the race one of the top 10 contested races of all time: "Newt Gingrich, a low-ranking congressman at the time, accused the Democratic leadership of blatant thuggery." (9)

content.time.com/time/specials/…

Time continued: "Some cite the ill will arising from this exercise in partisanship on both sides as a contributing factor in the unyielding party-line system in Congress today." (10)

The Bloody 8th began to change with Indiana and with the 1994 election that swept in Hostettler (R). Southern Indiana slowly became more Republican. Hostettler surprised many as he held the seat for 12 years. (11)

The 8th was always subject to midterm waves, so in 2006, Hostettler (R) lost to Brad Ellsworth (D), the sheriff of Vanderburgh County (Evansville). But Ellsworth ran for Senate in 2010 (he lost) and @RepLarryBucshon (R) picked the seat up. (12)

Bucshon has held the seat since. The counties throughout Southwest Indiana have gone red, and have become very pro-Trump, including Daviess County, which set a record for Trump support in the general, at 79%. The Bloody 8th is now the Blood Red 8th. (13)

wrtv.com/news/politics/…