GOSHEN —  With the 2012 General Election poised on the not-too-distant horizon, Indiana Republicans are facing what could be a significant change in leadership, leaving some to wonder just what the party will look like after all votes have been tallied on Nov. 6.

At the forefront of this potential change are two key factors: the knowledge that current Gov. Mitch Daniels is term-limited and cannot seek re-election; and the recent ouster of longtime U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar in this spring’s primary election by State Treasurer Richard Mourdock.

Leading the charge to replace Daniels this November is U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, whose candidacy for governor was formally accepted along with Mourdock’s bid for U.S. Senate during the annual Republican State Convention this past Saturday in Indianapolis.

While the buzz surrounding Pence’s bid seems to be primarily positive among both state and local Republicans, some in the party feel that the exit of Daniels, well known for his ability to hold the party’s fiscally conservative and socially conservative wings together, could lead to a possible split between the two.

For his part, Pence last Saturday outlined the six broad goals that will make up his agenda moving forward: increase private employment, increase manufacturing jobs, improve the reading and math skills of elementary students, improve graduation rates, boost the quality of Indiana’s workforce and improve the health and safety of Hoosier families. Of all of his goals, though, Pence said job creation is and will remain his top priority.

Mourdock also seems to be garnering significant support from the party on his end, primarily due to his far-right take on politics and his vocal unwillingness to give an inch when it comes to bipartisanship — a significant change from Lugar, who was well known in recent years for his willingness to work across the aisle.

For Republican Tom Stump, president of the Goshen City Council, the prospect of a Pence/Mourdock win would be a great thing for the state of Indiana.

“I think the party is definitely headed in the right direction,” Stump said. “I think Mike Pence is a good, conservative candidate for governor. I think Mourdock is an excellent candidate for the senate.”

Stump said he feels Lugar has served the state well over the years, but added that when you’re in office as long as Lugar has been — Lugar was first elected to the Senate in 1976 — sometimes the desire for compromise can get the better of you.

“Over the year’s it’s easy to become a little less philosophical and a little more interested in compromise,” Stump said. “Sometimes compromise works and sometimes it doesn’t, and it was far too much compromise for me. So I just think Richard Mourdock is better suited to do that job right now. If Richard Mourdock and Mike Pence are elected, I think they will serve this state very well.”

Curt Nisly, member of the Elkhart County Patriots Tea Party group, agreed.

“I think Mourdock and Mike Pence have stood up for liberty in different ways, and that’s why I support them,” Nisly said. “Mike Pence has a history of voting for limiting government. And Mourdock, while working on the Chrysler bailout case, was definitely defending the principal of bankruptcy, that businesses should be allowed to fail. So both Mourdock and Pence are my heroes in that way, because they have defended liberty.”

Dale Stickel, chairman of the Elkhart County Republican Party, is also feeling good about where he sees the Republican party is headed in the future.

“I think we’re in pretty good shape locally, and actually statewide too,” Stickel said.

Stickel noted that in addition to the Pence and Mourdock races, he will also be keeping a close eye on the campaign of Republican Jackie Walorski, who is seeking election to the U.S. House representing the 2nd Congressional District.

“I think she’s in much better shape to win than she was the last time she ran,” Stickel said, noting that Walorski won the Republican nomination, but lost the race for Indiana’s 2nd congressional district in 2010. “She has a good shot, but it’s going to take a lot of work.”

For his part, local grassroots Democrat Dan Shenk said he feels disappointed to see Lugar’s reign in the Senate finally coming to an end, adding that Mourdock’s unwillingness for bipartisan compromise has him particularly worried about where the state may be headed should he be elected.

“I am a progressive, and usually favor Democrats, but Lugar was a guy who was willing to work at things and get things done,” Shenk said. “And yet, somehow that very quality of bipartisanship on some issues — even though he was quite conservative — made him a pariah for Mourdock and the Tea Party. When Mourdock says the only way he can work in a bipartisan way is if the Democrats come over to his position, that’s just another recipe for gridlock. I’m afraid if people like Mourdock get in there, I think we’ll see a lot more of it.”