Stutzman questioned Souder about affair

GOSHEN, Ind. (AP/WANE) -- - The Indiana state senator and tea party favorite who announced Thursday that he would seek U.S. Rep. Mark Souder's seat said he had questioned the fellow Republican several years ago over talk of an inappropriate relationship with a staffer.

Marlin Stutzman, considered by many a front-runner for the Republican nomination for the seat after finishing second in this month's U.S. Senate primary, entered the race two days after Souder admitted an extramarital affair and said he would resign from Congress.

Stutzman said Thursday he had heard rumors years earlier while working for the congressman as a special assistant in the district. He said he and another staff member confronted Souder, who denied the allegations.

"I trusted my boss and what he said," Stutzman said.

He said he heard similar rumors before the May 4 primary this year, and rejected suggestions that his campaign helped plant that talk, calling that a "smear tactic."

Stutzman, a farm owner from Howe, finished second to former Sen. Dan Coats in the GOP's U.S. Senate primary.

A special election in the 3rd District to complete Souder's term through this year hasn't yet been set by Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels. Caucuses of Republican and Democratic committeemen will pick the special election nominees.

Souder, an evangelical Christian who promoted abstinence education and the virtues of family values, announced this week that he would resign effective Friday after publicly admitting that he cheated on his wife of 36 years with a married part-time aide.

Monica Boyer, a leader of the Kosciusko County tea party group Silent No More, said she was "heartbroken" over Souder's actions and would back Stutzman. Her group didn't endorse candidates in the Republican primary, but said Stutzman fits the profile of a candidate who is "fiscally, socially and morally conservative."

Stutzman was 26 when in 2002 he won his first of three elections the Indiana House and then was elected to the state Senate in 2008.

State Democratic Chairman Dan Parker said before Stutzman's announcement that a switch to the congressional race would take away Stutzman's "ability to say he's not a career politician, which was his argument against Dan Coats."

Stutzman rejected that, saying he'd rather be running his farm and business but thinks Washington needs fresh blood.

"This is not about an office, this is about a cause," he said. "We have to change Washington."

Other possible candidates include two Republicans whom Souder defeated in the primary -- Bob Thomas and Phil Troyer -- as well as state Reps. Randy Borror of Fort Wayne, Wes Culver of Goshen and Fort Wayne City Councilwoman Liz Brown.

Democrat Tom Hayhurst, a former Fort Wayne city councilman who got who got 46 percent of the vote against Souder in 2006, is his party's nominee for November's general election. Parker said Hayhurst also would likely be Democrats' pick for the special election since he is their strongest candidate in the Republican-leaning district.


Stutzman's announcement schedule is as follows:

10:00 in Goshen at Elkhart County GOP
11:30 in Angola at Swick Communications
1:30 in Kendallville at KPC News
4:30 in Fort Wayne at GOP HQ
6:30 in Lagrange at the 3rd district meeting