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| Indiana State Senate District 8 | ||
| Current incumbent | Mike Bohacek  | |
| Population | 128,043 | |
| Race | 90.4% White, 5.0% Black, 0.6% Asian, 2.1% Other, 1.9% Two or More | |
| Ethnicity | 4.8% Hispanic, 88.0% White Non-Hispanic | |
| Voting age | 76.4% age 18 and over | |
Indiana's eighth state senate district is represented by Republican Senator Mike Bohacek.
As of the 2010 census, a total of 128,043 civilians reside within Indiana's eighth state senate district. Indiana state senators represent an average of 129,676 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 121,610 residents.
Members of the Indiana State Senate serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Indiana legislators assume office the day after their general election.
To be eligible to serve in the Indiana State Senate a candidate must be:
| State legislators | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $25,945/year | $173/day |
Indiana legislators created a 401(k) plan for themselves in 1989, becoming the first in the nation to do so. Lawmakers who took office after April 1989 were ineligible for the traditional pension plan, receiving the individual retirement account instead.
Legislators pay 5% of their annual salary into the 401(k). In 2007, they voted to include per diem allowances, expense payments and leadership stipends into the calculation, thus raising their retirement accounts.
Whenever there is a vacancy in the senate, the state committee of a political party must appoint a replacement. The appointee selected by the state committee is contingent upon the approval of the state party chairperson. A special election is only allowed if the vacant seat is left by an independent.
This district is one of 710 state legislative districts that intersects with one or more Pivot Counties. These 206 Pivot Counties voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012.
The 206 Pivot Counties are located in 34 states. Iowa, with 31, had the most such counties. The partisan makeup of state legislative districts intersecting with Pivot Counties is slightly more Republican than the overall partisan makeup of state legislatures throughout the country.
Elections for the office of Indiana State Senate will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for May 5, 2020. The filing deadline is February 7, 2020.
Elections for the Indiana State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 3, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was February 5, 2016. Incumbent Jim Arnold (D) did not seek re-election.
Mike Bohacek defeated Maxine Spenner in the Indiana State Senate District 8 general election.Indiana State Senate, District 8 General Election, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Mike Bohacek |
58.27% | 31,239 | |
| Democratic | Maxine Spenner | 41.73% | 22,373 | |
| Total Votes | 53,612 | |||
| Source: Indiana Election Divsion | ||||
Indiana State Senate, District 8 Democratic Primary, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Maxine Spenner |
52.36% | 6,836 | |
| Democratic | Dan Cruz | 47.64% | 6,219 | |
| Total Votes | 13,055 | |||
| Source: Indiana Election Division | ||||
Indiana State Senate, District 8 Republican Primary, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Bohacek |
57.04% | 9,099 | |
| Republican | Allen Stevens | 42.96% | 6,853 | |
| Total Votes | 15,952 | |||
| Source: Indiana Election Division | ||||
Elections for the office of Indiana State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 8, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 10, 2012. Incumbent Jim Arnold (D) defeated Eric Harris (R) in the general election. Arnold defeated Maxine Spenner in the Democratic primary, while Harris defeated Austin Griffin in the Republican primary.
Indiana State Senate, District 8, General Election, 2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Arnold Incumbent |
58.3% | 30,777 | |
| Republican | Eric Harris | 41.7% | 22,029 | |
| Total Votes | 52,806 | |||
Indiana State Senate, District 8 Democratic Primary, 2012
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Jim Arnold Incumbent |
69.9% | 4,922 |
| Maxine Spenner | 30.1% | 2,117 |
| Total Votes | 7,039 | |
Indiana State Senate, District 8 Republican Primary, 2012
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Eric Harris |
51.9% | 4,113 |
| Austin Griffin | 48.1% | 3,817 |
| Total Votes | 7,930 | |
From 2002 to 2016, candidates for Indiana State Senate District 8 raised a total of $287,722. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $15,985 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.
Campaign contributions, Indiana State Senate District 8
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $29,878 | 4 | $7,470 | |
| 2012 * | $67,008 | 4 | $16,752 | |
| 2010 | $9,100 | 1 | $9,100 | |
| 2008 | $89,486 | 4 | $22,372 | |
| 2006 | $4,587 | 1 | $4,587 | |
| 2004 | $75,713 | 2 | $37,857 | |
| 2002 | $1,400 | 1 | $1,400 | |
| 2000 | $10,550 | 1 | $10,550 | |
| Total | $287,722 | 18 | $15,985 | |
| * Campaign finance data for 2012 is incomplete for this district. | ||||
