Brad Ellsworth

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Brad Ellsworth

United States Representative from Indiana's 8th district
In office Term Starts January 2007
Preceded by	John Hostettler
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	September 11, 1958 Jasper, Indiana
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Beth Ellsworth
Religion	Roman Catholic

Brad Ellsworth is the sheriff of Vanderburgh County, Indiana and the newly elected Democratic congressman from the 8th District of Indiana (map), defeating the Republican incumbent, John Hostettler.^[1]

1 Early life
2 Law enforcement
3 2006 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Early life

Ellsworth was born and spent his early years in Huntingburg, Indiana. When he was still in grade school, his family moved to Evansville, Indiana where his father took a job as a crane operator in Warrick County's Alcoa plant. After graduation from Evansville's William Henry Harrison High School in 1976, he attended the Indiana State University—Evansville where he received a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology. Ellsworth worked in the paint and hardware department at Sears while in school to pay for his education. He later received a Masters Degree in Criminology from Indiana State University.

[edit] Law enforcement

In 1982, Ellsworth began a career in the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's office. Over the next 23 years, he held every merit rank, and was twice decorated for heroism in the line of duty. While serving in the Department, Brad instituted the first Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program in the Evansville - Vanderburgh School Corporation. He later attended and graduated from the FBI National Academy.

In 1998, Ellsworth ran for sheriff and won by a large margin. He was unopposed running for a second term. In 2005 he announced his intention to seek the Democratic Party's nomination for Indiana's 8th Congressional District, which was held by six-term incumbent John Hostettler.

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[edit] 2006 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives

As of June 30, 2006, Hostettler had raised $287,000 and had $195,000 on hand, compared to Ellsworth's $1,036,000 raised and $676,000 on hand. However, Hostettler had won campaigns in the past against opponents with more funding. In addition, the National Republican Congressional Committee had spent $163,000 in his district as of mid-July 2006. (The DCCC, its counterpart, had spent $166,000 for Ellsworth as of that date.)^[2]^[3]

The Cook Political Report, an independent non-partisan newsletter, listed the race as a toss-up as of mid-August. ^[4] As of early September, the Rothenberg Political Report called Hostettler one of the three most endangered House incumbents in the country; Chris Cillizza, political analyst for The Washington Post, ranked Hostettler as the most vulnerable House incumbent in the nation; and Robert D. Novak, a syndicated columnist and editor of the Evans-Novak Political Report, also rated Hostettler's seat a likely win for Ellsworth.^[5]

In mid-October, an opinion poll commissioned by the Evansville Courier & Press showed Ellsworth leading Hostettler, 55% to 32%.^[6]

Hostettler debated Ellsworth on October 23, 2006. The debate was at public television station WVUT at Vincennes University, and involved the League of Women Voters. ^[7]

Ellsworth scored a landslide victory over Hostettler on November 7, 2006. He took 61% of the vote to Hostettler's 39%--by far the most lopsided defeat for an incumbent in the 2006 cycle.^[1]

Political offices
Preceded by John Hostettler	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 8th congressional district 2007-Present	Succeeded by Incumbent