PENDLETON — Incumbent state Rep. Scott Reske already has an opponent set for the 2010 election, an instance he calls a political move on the part of state Republicans.

Reske, a Democrat representing the state’s District 37, said his opponent, Kyle Hupfer, had moved into the district as recently as two weeks ago in a concerted effort by Republicans to oust Reske from the House of Representatives.

Hupfer filed his intent to run in the 2010 election in late August.

“He was promised big money for his campaign,” Reske said. “They’re coming after this seat, there’s no doubt about it.”

Reske said Hupfer’s move and subsequent filing for office hinges upon last session’s debate in the General Assembly over whether the state would offer funds to Indianapolis’ ailing Capital Improvement Board, which oversees Lucas Oil Stadium and Conseco Fieldhouse.

“Most people aren’t really aware of how heated the debate was at the Statehouse last year over the CIB stadium bailout,” Reske said. “The first thing that the Republicans tried to do in the Senate was have a statewide tax to make up for the $27 million a year shortfall.”

Reske said when no legislators outside Indianapolis would vote for the statewide tax, Republicans’ plan became to institute a regional tax on Indianapolis’ “donut” counties, including Madison County. The Democrat-led House, he said, opposed the measure.

“If a bunch of representatives from (the donut region) say no, guys aren’t going to vote for it, even though it doesn’t affect their part of the state,” Reske said. “Indianapolis elite were going to try to get as many Democrats seats out of the House as they could.”

Reske’s “Indianapolis elite” includes Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels and rich, influential business people from the city, he said.

Hupfer said the CIB issue had nothing to do with his decision to run for Reske’s seat; in fact, he said, he thought the issue was resolved when the General Assembly passed a budget in June that gave the CIB $8 million a year for the stadium.

“This is the first that I’ve ever heard of that theory,” Hupfer said. “I think there are a number of issues, this not being one of them, that I will be supportive of. The CIB is the furthest thing from my mind.”

Hupfer said Daniels had asked the CIB not to ask for more money after the budget was passed.

“I would be completely against any tax of citizens of Madison County to pay for the Lucas Oil Stadium,” he said.

The suite level of Lucas Oil Stadium is sponsored by Indianapolis-based ProLiance LLC, the company for which Hupfer is a vice president. He is the former head of the Indiana Department of Natural Resource under Daniels.

Reske said Hupfer had moved to Pendleton only recently, having just built a house in the Fishers area. He said the Republican Party had been trying for three or four months to recruit Hupfer to move to Pendleton to run against Reske.

“You don’t need to connect the dots; they’re touching each other,” Reske said. “(The Republican party) has been doing some maneuvering around. It’s pretty blatant carpetbagging.”

Indiana Republican Party spokesman Trevor Foughty said he wasn’t aware of Hupfer being advised to move to Pendleton, nor was it the practice of the party to move would-be legislators where it wants them to run.

“I understand why Rep. Reske might be a little worried about running against him and might try and make it look like something nefarious,” Foughty said.

Daniels’ spokeswoman Jane Jankowski deferred comment on the matter to the state Republican party.

Hupfer, who grew up in Pendleton, said he moved back at the start of the school year so his stepson could attend Pendleton Elementary School, the same school he and his wife, Jill, attended.

“I think that there are many folks in the Republican Party that are happy I’m running, but I don’t think they have anything to do with our move back,” Hupfer said. “Both of our roots couldn’t run deeper in Pendleton. South Madison is our home.

“There’s a lot of folks that are thrilled that I made the decision, which is a very tough one and one that takes a lot of thought. It’s a lot different to put yourself out there in an election.”

Hupfer said he had a house in Marion County, which he recently sold. Now, he and his family are renting a home in Pendleton until they can find a permanent residence.

“Pendleton is going to be our home regardless of this legislative race,” he said.

Reske maintained, however, that electing Hupfer would equate to Madison County surrendering some of its power to Indianapolis, at least as far as the CIB issue.

“This campaign is about who’s going to control Madison County legislators,” he said. “Is it going to be controlled by Indianapolis, or is Madison County going to have their own voice at the Statehouse?

“We have too many important problems here. We need to be focused on Madison County economic development and not Indianapolis economic development.”

Contact Aleasha Sandley: 640-4805, aleasha.sandley@heraldbulletin.com.