Richard Earl Mourdock (born October 8, 1951) is an American politician who served as treasurer of the state of Indiana from 2007 to 2014.

[7] Mourdock graduated from Wynford High School in Bucyrus in 1969, earned a Bachelor of Science in natural systems from Defiance College in 1973 and a Master of Arts in geology from Ball State University in 1975.

[15] In 2006, he ran for Indiana treasurer, winning most of the counties in the northern portion of the state, and defeating Michael W. Griffin, 52%–48%.

[22] At the announcement, Mourdock criticized Lugar for his support of the auto bailouts, his votes in favor of the DREAM Act and the START treaty and his opposition to earmark reform.

[25][26] At the time he announced his candidacy, Mourdock released a list of 12 Republican state central committee members and 67 GOP county chairs who endorsed him;[27] he soon began gathering tea party support as well.

At a 2011 local tea party convention in Greenfield, Indiana, Mourdock received 96 of the 97 straw poll votes cast.

[30] Mourdock addressed the rally praising the support he had been given by FreedomWorks and similar groups, and adding that the tea party movement was very much alive "showing up to work for campaigns.

[33] According to campaign finance records, some of Mourdock's other top donors and the respective amounts they have contributed are the NRA, $491,000; Citizens United Political Victory Fund, $96,300; and FreedomWorks for America, $437,184.

[35][36] Mourdock's victory was attributed in part to voter dissatisfaction with Lugar's moderate record as well as his absence from Indiana; he had not had a residence in the state since 1977.

[37] Indiana political analyst Brian Howey ascribed Mourdock's primary win to Republican voters' belief that Lugar was too old and that he had been in Congress too long.

[39] Mourdock had been endorsed by several conservative interest groups, including the Americans for Prosperity, Club for Growth, FreedomWorks, Citizens United, and the Tea Party Express, the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF),[40][37][41][42] and Indiana Right to Life.

[54] At an October 23, 2012, candidate debate, Mourdock explained why he is opposed to abortion even when the pregnancy is the result of rape: I, too, certainly stand for life.

[56] Speculation that Mourdock's remark could affect the outcome of the Senate race[57] centered on attempts to liken his comments to those of Todd Akin.

"[61] A number of Republican officials and candidates, including Sen. John McCain, called for him to issue an apology,[62] but Mourdock refused.

One week after the remark, Mourdock was greeted enthusiastically by the attendees of a semiannual dinner for prominent Indiana Republican officials and supporters.

[66][67] Mourdock said he would not have supported the Troubled Assets Relief Program[18] and opposed the bailout of GM and Chrysler, which included measures causing losses to secured bondholders in retirement funds that he managed as treasurer.

[18][65] In February 2012, Mourdock told the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that bipartisanship has nearly bankrupted the country, and that confrontation, not collegiality was needed.

"[72] Republican 2012 vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan later expressed his disagreement with Mourdock's statement, saying, "I obviously don't agree with that.