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| Indiana Tea Party candidate likely to topple long-serving Republican senator | Indiana Tea Party candidate likely to topple long-serving Republican senator |
| (about 21 hours later) | |
| One of the Republican party's longest-serving senators, Richard Lugar, made a desperate last-minute effort Monday to head off looming defeat in the face of a strong primary challenge from the Tea Party movement. | One of the Republican party's longest-serving senators, Richard Lugar, made a desperate last-minute effort Monday to head off looming defeat in the face of a strong primary challenge from the Tea Party movement. |
| The most recent poll in Indiana shows his opponent, Richard Mourdock, with a 10-point lead over Lugar. | The most recent poll in Indiana shows his opponent, Richard Mourdock, with a 10-point lead over Lugar. |
| Lugar, a moderate, often supports bipartisan measures in the Senate. Failure to secure the Republican nomination for a seat he first won in 1976 would send a shockwave through the Republican party. | Lugar, a moderate, often supports bipartisan measures in the Senate. Failure to secure the Republican nomination for a seat he first won in 1976 would send a shockwave through the Republican party. |
| It would mark another shift to the right by the Republican party and increase the polarisation of an already deeply-divided Congress. It would also provide a warning to Republican members of Congress against bucking the new conservative orthodoxy. | It would mark another shift to the right by the Republican party and increase the polarisation of an already deeply-divided Congress. It would also provide a warning to Republican members of Congress against bucking the new conservative orthodoxy. |
| In an email sent out to voters on the eve of Tuesday's vote, Lugar warned that if he loses, Republican chances of retaining Indiana would diminish and with it hopes of securing a majority in the Senate. | In an email sent out to voters on the eve of Tuesday's vote, Lugar warned that if he loses, Republican chances of retaining Indiana would diminish and with it hopes of securing a majority in the Senate. |
| Lugar is drawing a parallel with 2010 when Tea Party-backed candidates such as Christine O'Donnell in Delaware and Sharron Angle in Nevada won their primaries but lost to Democrats in the election. | Lugar is drawing a parallel with 2010 when Tea Party-backed candidates such as Christine O'Donnell in Delaware and Sharron Angle in Nevada won their primaries but lost to Democrats in the election. |
| In another sign of what even his supporters saw as smacking of desperation, Lugar is urging Democrats, independents and others to turn out to vote for him, even though it is essentially a Republican primary. | In another sign of what even his supporters saw as smacking of desperation, Lugar is urging Democrats, independents and others to turn out to vote for him, even though it is essentially a Republican primary. |
| The Tea Party movement regards Lugar as too moderate, angry over his vote for the federal bailout of the banks and his support for Barack Obama's supreme court nominations. | The Tea Party movement regards Lugar as too moderate, angry over his vote for the federal bailout of the banks and his support for Barack Obama's supreme court nominations. |
| Mourdock secured the backing at the weekend of former senator Rick Santorum to add to support from longtime Tea Party favourites such as Sarah Palin, former pizza mogul Herman Cain and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. He also has the financial support from a host of rightwing groups. Lugar has secured the support of fellow senator John McCain and the governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels. A poll on Friday put Mourdock on 48% to Lugar on 38%. | Mourdock secured the backing at the weekend of former senator Rick Santorum to add to support from longtime Tea Party favourites such as Sarah Palin, former pizza mogul Herman Cain and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. He also has the financial support from a host of rightwing groups. Lugar has secured the support of fellow senator John McCain and the governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels. A poll on Friday put Mourdock on 48% to Lugar on 38%. |
| The Democrats claim that if Lugar was to lose, the state becomes a toss-up and they will throw funds and support behind the party candidate Joe Donnelly. Lugar faced embarrassment on the campaign trail when his opponents highlighted the fact that he had sold his home in the state in 1977 and now lives in Virginia, prompting a legal challenge over whether he was even eligble to vote in Indiana. | The Democrats claim that if Lugar was to lose, the state becomes a toss-up and they will throw funds and support behind the party candidate Joe Donnelly. Lugar faced embarrassment on the campaign trail when his opponents highlighted the fact that he had sold his home in the state in 1977 and now lives in Virginia, prompting a legal challenge over whether he was even eligble to vote in Indiana. |
| Mourdock, as state treasurer, rose to prominence by challenging the federal bailout of the car industry, a move that won the support of the Tea Party but may be a handicap in the Senate race. | Mourdock, as state treasurer, rose to prominence by challenging the federal bailout of the car industry, a move that won the support of the Tea Party but may be a handicap in the Senate race. |
| The Republicans had been hopeful of securing a majority in the Senate but that optimism has dimmed with the announced departure of senator Olympia Snowe, from Maine, a moderate who often voted with the Democrats. She complained at the time of her announcement about Congress becoming too polarised. Her departure makes Maine a toss-up state. | The Republicans had been hopeful of securing a majority in the Senate but that optimism has dimmed with the announced departure of senator Olympia Snowe, from Maine, a moderate who often voted with the Democrats. She complained at the time of her announcement about Congress becoming too polarised. Her departure makes Maine a toss-up state. |
| In 2010, the Tea Party pushed out the serving senator Bob Bennett in Utah. Also in 2010, in Delaware, the Tea Party candidate O'Donnell beat the establishment candidate Mike Castle but went on to lose the Senate race, one the Republicans had high hopes of winning. | In 2010, the Tea Party pushed out the serving senator Bob Bennett in Utah. Also in 2010, in Delaware, the Tea Party candidate O'Donnell beat the establishment candidate Mike Castle but went on to lose the Senate race, one the Republicans had high hopes of winning. |
| Another Republican senator Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, also fell foul of the Tea Party and lost the primary only to win her seat in a write-in campaign. | Another Republican senator Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, also fell foul of the Tea Party and lost the primary only to win her seat in a write-in campaign. |
| • This article was amended on 8 May 2012 to correct the name of Richard Lugar, from Robert Lugar. |