# 1970 United States Senate election in Indiana

Elections in Indiana :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
1996
2000
2004
2008
2016
2020
Republican
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1816
1818
1821
1821 sp
1824
1827
1830
1832 sp
1832
1836
1838
1842
1844
1848
1850
1853 sp
1856
1857 sp
1860
1862
1863 sp
1867
1868
1873
1879
1879 sp
1885
1887
1891
1893
1897
1899
1903
1905
1905 sp
1909
1911
1914
1916
1916 sp
1920
1922
1926
1926 sp
1928
1932
1934
1938
1940
1944
1944 sp
1946
1950
1952
1956
1958
1962
1964
1968
1970
1974
1976
1980
1982
1986
1988
1990 sp
1992
1994
1998
2000
2004
2006
2010
2012
2016
2018
2022
2024
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1816
1817
1818
1820
1822
AL sp
1824
1st sp
1826
1828
1831
1833
1835
1837
6th sp
1839
1840
7th sp
1841
1843
1845
1847
1849
1851
1852
1854
1856
1857
1st sp
10th sp
1858
1860
1862
1864
1866
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
2nd sp
3rd sp
1878
1880
1882
1883
9th sp
1884
13th sp
1886
1888
1889
1st sp
1890
1892
1894
1896
1897
4th sp
1898
1900
1902
1904
1905
1st
1906
12th sp
1908
13th sp
1910
1912
1914
1916
1917
6th sp
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1935
2nd sp
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1947
10th sp
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1st sp
1984
1986
1988
1989
4th sp
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
7th sp
2010
3rd sp
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2nd sp
2024 :
State government
State elections
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Gubernatorial elections
1816
1819
1822
1825
1828
1831
1834
1837
1840
1843
1846
1849
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Secretary of State elections
2010
2014
2018
2022
Attorney General elections
2012
2016
2020
2024
State Treasurer elections
2010
2014
2018
2022
Senate elections
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
House of Representatives elections
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
Indianapolis
Mayoral elections
1925
1929
1947
1951
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983
1987
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
City-County Council elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023 :
Other localities
Carmel (mayoral)
Evansville (mayoral)
Fort Wayne (mayoral)
Gary (mayoral)
South Bend (mayoral)vte :
vte :
The 1970 United States Senate election in Indiana took place on November 3, 1970. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Vance Hartke was narrowly re-elected to a third term in office over Republican U.S. Representative Richard Roudebush. As of 2024, this is the last time that an incumbent Democratic Senator from Indiana won re-election for this seat.

## General election
### Candidates

* Vance Hartke, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1959
* Richard Roudebush, U.S. Representative from Noblesville

## Results

General election results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Vance Hartke (inc.) | 870,990 | 50.12% | 4.21 |
| | Republican | Richard Roudebush | 866,707 | 49.88% | 4.55 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,737,697 | 100.00% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### Recount Dispute

One day after the Secretary of State certified Hartke as the winner, Roudebush filed a petition for a recount in state court. The state court appointed a three-person commission to oversee the recount. In response, Hartke sought an injunction against a recount, arguing that under Article I Section 5 of the Constitution, the Senate has the sole power to judge its own members. The district court granted the injunction. Roudebush appealed the district court's decision, and the case was granted cert by the U.S. Supreme Court. While the case was before the Supreme Court, Hartke was administered the oath of office and seated.
The Supreme Court, in Roudebush v. Hartke, ruled that a state had the broad powers to regulate election including recounts. Such a recount would not restrict the Senate from making its own determinations as to who to seat, with the Senate being allowed to conduct its own recount if it so chose. Even after the Senate had seated Hartke, a state recount would not violate Article I Section 5. Therefore, Indiana could conduct a recount.
The much awaited recount would show that Hartke was indeed the winner. On July 24, 1972, almost two years after the election, Hartke was seated without reservation in the United States Senate.