Andre Carson
would appear to have everything going for him in Tuesday's
special election to choose a successor to his late
grandmother, Julia Carson, in Congress.
He has the name
recognition she built over more than three decades in
political offices, including 11 years in Congress before her
death in December. Carson also holds a big
fund-raising advantage over Republican candidate Jon
Elrod and is a Democrat in a district that backed John
Kerry with 585 of the vote in 2004.
But Carson also
faces several obstacles in the election to hold the seat
representing most of Indianapolis for the rest of this year.
They include expected low voter turnout, potential
backlash over complaints of political nepotism, and a
possible divided base because of a crowded field for
the Democratic nomination in the May primary.
Carson has
campaigned on a platform similar to that of his liberal
grandmother. He opposes keeping U.S. troops in Iraq and any
privatization of Social Security, and backs adoption
of a universal health care system.
Elrod has
promoted himself as a moderate focused on fiscal reforms,
such as eliminating most earmark funding for projects
sought by members of Congress. He's also refused to
join the other 48 Indiana house Republicans in backing
a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages.
Elrod hopes to
ride a wave of voter discontent over property tax
increases and crime that helped Republican Greg Ballard
upset two-term incumbent Bart Peterson in the
Indianapolis mayoral race four months ago.
''I think people
are tired of politics as usual, tired of the status
quo,'' Elrod said. ''Congress has a 19% approval rating, and
that clearly shows they're not pleased with the way
the country's heading.''
Carson, 33, said
while he shared his grandmother's values, he places more
emphasis than she did on issues such as lessening the
country's reliance on oil and protecting the
environment.
''I think I'm
showing every day that I'm my own man,'' he said. ''People
are starting to see that distinction very clearly.''
Carson has been a
member of the Indianapolis City-County Council since
August. He has yet to face a contested race; he was picked
by a caucus of precinct committeemen to fill a vacant
council seat and then was unopposed in the November
election
Elrod, 30, is a
first-term state representative from a predominantly
Democratic district on the south side of Indianapolis, which
he won in 2006 by eight votes over a five-term
incumbent.
Carson faces
seven challengers in the May 6 primary, including state
representatives David Orentlicher and Carolene Mays, leading
into the November election to a full two-year term.
Two political unknowns have filed against Elrod for
the GOP nomination. (Tom Davies, AP)
