Gov. Joe Kernan wasn't able to overtake Mitch Daniels' lead in the fight for Indiana's governor's office.
With 43 percent of the precincts reporting, Kernan, the Democratic incumbent, finished with 45 percent to Daniels' 53 percent and Libertarian candidate Kenn Gividen's 2 percent.
Daniels had a 6 percent lead over Kernan in the final poll conducted by the Indianapolis Star and Channel 13.
"This has been a campaign that has been hard fought, but the fact is that tonight we are one Indiana," Kernan said in his address to his volunteers and the public at the Westin Tuesday night in Indianapolis. "This is not a time to hang our heads...to whine about what might have been."
Kernan was sworn in as Indiana's 48th governor on Sept. 13, 2003 after the death of Gov. Frank O'Bannon. Before becoming governor, Kernan announced he would not run for the office in this election. However, Kernan changed his mind once he became governor because fellow Democrats encouraged him, campaign volunteers said.
"As we look forward now to the next couple of months, we will do everything we can to make sure we turn over the state government in the best shape possible," Kernan said.
Jobs and the economy were key issues in the Kernan campaign, with the governor stressing that he has Indiana's economy going in the right direction.
Daniel's win has ended the Democrat's 16 year hold on the governor's office, but this change isn't welcome with Kernan supporters.
"[Kernan] has done a good job in the short time he's been in there," Keith Williams, a Muncie resident, said.
While Kernan didn't win the election, he said his volunteers helped him put together a great campaign.
"I can't thank you all enough for the financial support, the hard work that so many of you had put in, the contributions our friends in organizaed labor have made...and to do things we believed were important for us to do."
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