From the Courier-Journal:
U.S. Rep. Baron Hill, D-9th District, is among those that some Democrats are listing as possible candidates for U.S. Senate now that Evan Bayh has said he won’t seek re-election.
Hill, a former state lawmaker and businessman from Seymour, has served in the U.S. House for 10 of the past 12 years. He was defeated once – in 2004 – by Republican Mike Sodrel, who is vying for the chance to run against Hill again this year.
Hill also ran for U.S. Senate in 1990 when he lost to Republican Dan Coats, who is expected to enter this year’s race as well.
“I’m sure Baron Hill will be among several Democrats who will take a look at the race,” said Mike Jones, the Democrats’ 9th District chairman and a member of the party’s state central committee.
Jones said U.S. Reps Joe Donnelly, D-2nd District, and Brad Ellsworth, D-8th District, would also be possible candidates.
“But that creates more questions about their seats,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any question that the Democrats have several people that would have the capacity to wage a campaign for U.S. Senate. But there are other question marks about what happens next.”
Hill is out of the country on a week-long trip military-hosted trip. At the request of the military and because of security concerns, Hill’s office said it cannot disclose the trip itinerary.
Hill’s spokeswoman, Katie Moreau, said Monday that she has no way of reaching the congressman.
“We honestly never spoke about this before he left,” she said.
Unless a Democrat can collect the 4,500 signatures necessary to get on the primary ballot by Tuesday – something political observers said would be nearly impossible – the Indiana Democratic Party’s central committee will fill the vacancy on the ballot after the primary.
Former state Democratic chairman Kip Tew said Monday that he expects Hill will be among the candidates the committee will consider.
But he also named former state attorney general Joe Hogsett, former Indianapolis mayor Bart Peterson, Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel and Ellsworth as possibilities.
“We have a pretty good bench on our side,” Tew said.
House Speaker Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, said Monday he is not interested in running.
“I’d rather support someone else,” he said.
But Bauer said he was too stunned by the news that Bayh wouldn’t run to speculate about a replacement.
Baron picked a bad time to go overseas for a photo op, given that he’s out of contact for a week and Brad Ellsworth is already itching to run.
There’s also the tiny matter of who will get nominated for Congress by the Democrats if either Hill or Ellsworth (or Donnelly, for that matter) chooses to run. Baron Hill faces primary opponents. Ellsworth and Donnelly (currently) do not. Insignificant though they may be, the mere presence on the ballot of Hill’s opponents prevents the Democrats from backfilling the ballot vacancy with a serious candidate unless another (serious) candidate files by Friday at noon. That is not the case in the 2nd or the 8th.
(Read more after the leap)
