Baron Hill

#Fail: Republicians [sic] Take On Baron Hill In Indiana (VIDEO)

Brian Beutler | September 30, 2010, 3:57PM

The National Republician Campaign Committee is running an ad against Democratic House incumbent Baron Hill of Indiana.

No, that's not our typo, it's theirs.

Hill has served his district since 1999, but was booted from Congress for one term by Republican Mike Sodrel in 2005 only to return to Congress in 2007. Now the GOP is trying to take the seat back yet again by tying him to Democratic leadership.

So confident are Republicans that they can convince Hoosiers to fire Hill that they've let their copy editors take a month-long vacation ahead of recess.

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IN-SEN

Dem Rep. Baron Hill Not Running For Senate, Endorses Ellsworth

Eric Kleefeld | March 1, 2010, 2:54PM

Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN) and Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN)

Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN) announced over the weekend that he will not run for the the Senate seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh, and that he has endorsed Rep. Brad Ellsworth to be the new Democratic nominee.

"I believe my friend and colleague, Congressman Brad Ellsworth, is the right man to fulfill the task of ensuring a Democrat is elected to succeed Senator Bayh," Hill said in a statement.

As we have reported, the fact that nobody filed the petitions necessary to appear on the Democratic primary ballot -- Bayh announced his retirement the day before the signatures were due -- means that the state Democratic Party's central committee has the authority to name a new candidate. That meeting of the committee will come some time after the May 4 primary, and before a June 30 deadline.

IN-SEN

Dem Baron Hill Still Mulling Senate Run In Indiana

Eric Kleefeld | February 23, 2010, 6:52PM

Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN) and Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN)

Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN) is still keeping the door open to the possibility of seeking the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat of retiring Democrat Evan Bayh. However, it should be remembered that if he does seek the Dem nomination, for which Rep. Brad Ellsworth is already a candidate, it will be through a process without a conventional primary.

As we have reported, the fact that nobody filed the petitions necessary to appear on the Democratic primary ballot means that the state Democratic Party's central committee has the authority to name a new candidate. That meeting of the committee will come some time after the May 4 primary, and before June 30.

"A lot of people are undecided on the state committee. Some are favoring me. Some are favoring Brad," Hill told CNN. He also added: "I think I have to make it sooner rather than later. I think I need to make it this week."

IN-SEN

Poll: Potential Dem Candidates Trail GOPers In Indiana Senate Race

Eric Kleefeld | February 18, 2010, 11:36AM

Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN) and Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN)

The new Rasmussen poll of Indiana, the first survey of the Senate race here since Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh suddenly announced his retirement, finds the two most prominent potential Dem replacement candidates trailing the Republicans.

Democratic Rep. Brad Ellsowrth trails former GOP Sen. Dan Coats by 46%-32%, trails former Rep. John Hostettler by 46%-27%, and trails state Sen. Marlin Stutzman by 40%-30%. Democratic Rep. Baron Hill is behind Coats by 48%-32%, trails Hostettler by 49%-31%, and is behind Stutzman by 41%-33%.

Neither Ellsworth nor Hill are officially in the race at this time, and an actual campaign would likely boost the eventual candidate's name recognition and poll numbers somewhat. But for now, at least, the Democrats appear to start out this open-seat contest significantly behind.

IN-SEN

Indiana Senate Race Could Set Off Another Open-Seat Race -- For The House

Eric Kleefeld | February 16, 2010, 3:03PM

Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN) and Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN)

The scramble for a new Democratic Senate candidate in Indiana, with the sudden retirement of Sen. Evan Bayh and his expected replacement by the state Democratic Party, has seen a lot of attention focused on some of the state's Democratic House members -- which could in turn set off an additional scramble to fill one of their seats, should they decide to run.

A Democratic source in Indiana filled us in on the possible candidates for the seats of three Dem House members who could conceivably become the new Senate nominee: Joe Donnelly, Brad Ellsworth and Baron Hill. (Most speculation has centered on Ellsworth and Hill, though Donnelly is not out of the question, either.) If any of these three were to accept the Democratic nomination for Senate and subsequently vacate their own nominations for the House, the party would go through an internal process to replace them as Congressional candidates.

The Democratic Party precinct chairs within the district, who are elected from each of the state's election precincts, would meet for a caucus at which they would vote for a new candidate. If more than two people were to run for a seat, and nobody were to win a majority at first, voting would continue until somebody reached 50-percent-plus-one. In this kind of process, different local allegiances and records in office can have a genuine role to play among the hundreds of people voting in the contest. "Needless to say, that is a more interesting process than the state mechanism," the source said.

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