Besides Geoff Davis, who beat Nick Clooney in Northern Kentucky, the newest member of the delegation is Republican Mike Sodrel, a father of two from New Albany.

The 58-year-old trucking company executive is the first Republican to represent southeast Indiana in the House in 40 years.

Sodrel knocked off three-term Democrat Baron Hill, who had succeeded Lee Hamilton - the Democrat who held Indiana's 9th District since 1964.

Sodrel campaigned in an 18-wheeler, sometimes driving it himself. At his trucking company, he hands out copies of the Constitution to his employees. He's a member of The Remnant Trust, a foundation that collects and shares original and early-edition works on human liberty, such as the Magna Carta.

The former Army National Guardsman will represent a district that includes two counties that are part of the Cincinnati metro area: Ohio and southern Dearborn County, including Lawrenceburg.

Since 2003, northern Dearborn County has been represented by another Republican, Mike Pence of Columbus. The rest of the all-GOP delegation: Reps. Steve Chabot, John Boehner, Rob Portman and Mike Turner.

Mitch's job easier

Among the winners of Tuesday's election was Sen. Mitch McConnell, who wasn't even up for re-election.

McConnell is the Senate Whip, the guy charged with making sure there are enough votes to pass bills. His job, he noted in a conference call with reporters, got a lot easier this week.

McConnell will have 55 Republicans in January, four more than he has in the current Senate.

"I'm hoping it's going to make my job a little easier," said McConnell. "Fifty-five is better than 51." But it's still not 60, he said, the number needed to break any filibuster by Democrats.

He said the wider margin might make Democrats more cooperative.

"The president will set our priorities," McConnell said. "The priorities are going to be tax reform, Social Security reform and legal reform. This is a big-issue president."

Also winning: Portman, who would have lost his entree to the White House had John Kerry replaced Bush; Boehner, who gets to keep his education committee chairmanship; and Chabot, who will keep chairing the Constitution subcommittee.

Now that's progress

Democrat Charles Sanders lost to Portman for the fourth straight election Tuesday. But the campaign was still full of hope - sort of - on Election Night.

"It is looking promising that Sanders will hold Portman in the 60 to 69 percentile range potentially for the first time in his congressional career," noted the press release from the Sanders campaign at 10:35 p.m..

Portman ended up beating Sanders 71.8 percent to 28.2 percent. That was Sanders' best showing yet.

Chabot in Mideast

Chabot is in Jordan and Israel this week. The Westwood Republican, a member of the House International Relations Committee, is scheduled to meet with Jordan's King Abdullah II and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

E-mail cweiser@gannett.com