Princetonians from sea to shining sea

Mitch Daniels ’71 (R-Ind.)

Incumbent Mitch Daniels ’71 (R) has won the gubernatorial race in Indiana with 58 percent of the vote, according to CNN. Daniels was elected to his first term as governor in 2004.

Daniels defeated Democrat Jill Long Thompson, the first woman to be nominated by a major party in an Indiana gubernatorial race, and former under secretary for rural economic and community development under President Clinton. She received 40 percent of the vote.

His victory comes at a tough time for Republican incumbents around the country. Indiana, which last voted for a Democrat for president in 1964, supported Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) over Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) by less than a percentage point.

Daniels, who was a Wilson School major, captured similar percentages of the vote for both male and female voters, according to exit poll results from cnn.com. He also won with a consistent lead across age groups, though among voters age 65 or older, he gained 66 percent of the vote to Long Thompson’s 32 percent. Among African-American voters, Daniels won only 21 percent to Long Thompson’s 74 percent. He also captured 56 percent of the independent vote.

During his first term, Daniels balanced the state’s budget for the first time in eight years and shifted the state into a significant surplus. Daniels used these funds to repay debt inherited by his administration.

Prior to getting elected to the Indiana governorship, Daniels served in the administrations of former President Ronald Reagan and President Bush.

— Cornelia Hall

Jim Marshall ’72 (D-Ga.)

Rep. Jim Marshall ’72 (D-Ga.) was projected to win re-election to a fourth term in Georgia’s 8th Congressional District over Republican Richard Goddard, who retired from the military in 2000 after a 34-year career.

In Congress, Marshall serves on the House Armed Services, Financial Services and Agriculture Committees. He is considered an expert on military affairs and frequently gives lectures and national television commentary on military matters. He has been a fervent advocate of increasing benefits to soldiers and veterans.

Marshall, like his opponent, is a Vietnam War veteran. He matriculated at Princeton in 1966 but left in 1968 to volunteer in the infantry. He was decorated with two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart and a place in the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame. After graduating from the Princeton, he attended law school at Boston University.

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A conservative Democrat, Marshall has voted in opposition to gay marriage, abortion and gun control. Marshall has been known to vote across party lines, including his vote as the sole democrat against HR 2863, a defense appropriations bill to increase protections for detainees held in U.S. custody. He has voted against bankruptcy reform, in favor of the United States’ withdrawal from the WTO and against Tort reform. Marshall generally votes with Democrats on economic and environmental issues, including his opposition to the construction of new oil refineries.

An avid hunter and outdoorsman, Marshall enjoys sports and is a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. He has two children, Robert and Mary Marshall ’10.

— Samantha Pergadia

John Sarbanes ’84 (D-Md.)

Rep. John Sarbanes ‘84 (D-Md.) has overwhelmingly won re-election to represent Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District in the House of Representatives, with 71 percent of the vote. Sarbanes defeated Thomas Harris, a Republican running in his first Congressional race.

Sarbanes was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2006 to the seat held 30 years ago by his father, Paul Sarbanes ’54. The elder Sarbanes served three terms in the House of Representatives and five terms in the Senate.

Sarbanes ’84 has focused on education during his time in office, sponsoring the Education for Public Service Act, which aims to reduce college costs and keep graduates in the public service sector by reducing monthly payments on loans and enhancing loan forgiveness. He also sponsored the No Child Let Inside Act, which passed in the House in September. The bill “get[s] kids outdoors into nature, into the environment as a way of improving public health, as a way of raising awareness of the environment and as a way of engaging them in learning,” Sarbanes told The Daily Princetonian in October.

Sarbanes voted in favor of the $700 billion financial stabilization package both times that it was brought to a vote in the House.

Sarbanes, who was a Wilson School concentrator, was president of the College Democrats, participated in projects with the Student Volunteers Council and was a member of the Karate Club during his time at the University.

— Daniella Roseman