Dick Lugar (left) and Richard Mourdock
(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Richard Mourdock is projected to win the U.S. Senate Republican primary in Indiana, ousting six-term senator Richard Lugar.
Mourdock, the state's treasurer, battled incumbent Lugar for the GOP nod. With 71 percent of precincts reporting, Mourdock led Lugar 60 to 40 percent.
FIND LOCAL AND STATE ELECTION RESULTS ON OUR INDIANA VOTES 2012 PAGE.
The 80-year-old Lugar has been in office since 1977. He is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. At the present time, he is the third most senior Senator, behind Hawaii Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye and Vermont Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy.
During his concession speech, the longest serving senator in Indiana history said he hopes Mourdock wins in November, but also took his opponent to task.
"His embrace of an unrelenting partisan mindset is irreconcilable with my philosophy of governance," Lugar told his supporters. "Unless he modifies his approach, he will achieve little as a legislator."
Indiana Republican Party State Chairman Eric Holcomb issued a statement congratualting Mourdock.
"As our next United States Senator, Richard will be a forceful defender of our Party and principles as he stands up to the disastrous economic record of Barack Obama and Joe Donnelly, who made promises they didn't keep and continue to promote policies that are bankrupting our country, saddling future generations with unsustainable debt," Halcomb said.
Halcomb also thanked Lugar for serving his city, state and nation with honor and distinction over the years.
"We have been, and will continue to be, proud to call Dick Lugar one of our own," he said.
LINKS:
May 8 Indiana Primary Election Results
