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Baron Hill
Baron Hill was a 2016 Democratic candidate who sought election to the U.S. Senate from Indiana.[1] He dropped out of the race on July 11, 2016, to allow Evan Bayh to replace him on the general election ballot.[2]
Hill is a former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented the 9th District of Indiana from 1999 to 2005 and again from 2007 to 2011.[3]
Prior to his Senate announcement, Hill was briefly considered a potential candidate for Governor of Indiana in 2016.[4]
Elections
2016
The race for Indiana's Senate seat was one of nine competitive battleground races in 2016 that helped Republicans maintain control of the Senate. Todd Young (R) defeated Evan Bayh (D), Lucy Brenton (L), and James Johnson (I) (Write-in) in the general election to win retiring incumbent Dan Coats' (R) Senate seat on November 8, 2016.[5][6][7]
Bayh, a former U.S. Senator, governor of Indiana, and Indiana Secretary of State received major media attention upon his announcement that he was running for the seat he left in 2011. Nathan Gonzales, editor and publisher of The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, said Bayh’s run “might be the biggest surprise in Senate races this year.”[8]
Bayh said wanted to return to the Senate to address the same issues of partisanship and gridlock that led him to retire, “Things in Washington have only gotten worse, and it grieves me to see what’s happened in our country, the unmet challenges that so many of our families face. I just concluded that I couldn’t stand on the sidelines anymore and needed to do what I could to try and bring us together to meet our challenges.”[9]
Young, who represented Indiana's 9th Congressional District from 2011 to 2017, ran on his background as a former Marine, ‘“I would say more than anything else, this election is about who Hoosiers can trust. It’s about character,” Young said. “Either (voters) place their trust in a Marine who lives here in Indiana … or they place their trust in a career politician who’s cashed out and has an unseemly post-Senate career he doesn’t want to talk about.”[10]
In August 2016, Republicans accused Bayh of not living in Indiana, citing reports that he was listed as an inactive voter by the Indiana Election Division. CNN also reported that public records showed Bayh listed his two Washington, D.C. homes as his places of primary residence instead of his home in Indianapolis.[11]
During a campaign stop, Young said, “What I’m hearing from people across the board is they are frustrated by their elected representatives going to Washington, D.C., and forgetting about Indiana. They believe special interests and Washington lobbyists — like Evan Bayh — are a big part of the problem, and they’re right.”[12]
In response to a question about his homes, Bayh told the Indianapolis Star, “Susan and I spent the last couple of nights at our Indianapolis home, and we like it. If Congressman Young and his allies want to attack me, that’s their decision. I’m going to attack the challenges that face Hoosier families and our country. That’s why I’m running.”[9]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Todd Young |
52.1% | 1,423,991 | |
| Democratic | Evan Bayh | 42.4% | 1,158,947 | |
| Libertarian | Lucy Brenton | 5.5% | 149,481 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0% | 127 | |
| Total Votes | 2,732,546 | |||
| Source: Indiana Election Division | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Todd Young |
67.1% | 661,136 | ||
| Marlin Stutzman | 32.9% | 324,429 | ||
| Total Votes | 985,565 | |||
| Source: Indiana Secretary of State |
||||
Campaign finance summary
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Voting record
Frequency of voting with Democratic leadership
According to a July 2010 analysis of 1,357 votes cast from January 1, 2009 to June 16, 2010, Hill voted with the House Democratic leadership 87.1 percent of the time.[13] That same analysis reported that he also voted with party leadership 90.8 percent of the time in 2010.
Washington Post analysis
A separate analysis from The Washington Post, concluded that he voted 87.4 percent of the time with a majority of Democrats in the House of Representatives.[14]
Specific votes
Rep. Hill supported the 2008 bailout of American automakers Chrysler and General Motors.[15] As of September 13, 2010, 56 percent of Americans disapproved of the auto bailout, while 43 percent supported it.[16]
In addition, Rep. Hill voted for the 2009 stimulus bill.[17] Fifty-seven percent of U.S. voters believed that the stimulus had either hurt the economy (36 percent) or had no impact (21 percent). Thirty-eight percent believed the stimulus helped the economy.[18]
Hill also voted in favor of the "Cash for Clunkers" bill.[19] According to a June 2009 Rasmussen Reports poll, 54 percent of likely U.S. voters opposed Cash for Clunkers, while 35 percent supported it.[20]
Hill supported the "Cap and Trade" bill.[21] Just after the bill’s passage, 42 percent of likely U.S. voters said that cap and trade would hurt the economy, while 19 percent believed that it would help. Another 15 percent said that the bill would have no impact.[22]
Finally, Hill voted in favor of the health care reform bill.[23] Fifty-seven percent of likely voters at least somewhat favored repeal of the health care reform bill, including 46 percent who strongly favored repeal. Thirty-five percent of likely voters opposed repeal. Fifty-one percent of likely voters believed the health care reform bill would be bad for the country, while 36 percent believed it would be beneficial.[24]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Baron + Hill + Indiana + Senate"
See also
External links
- Campaign website
- Facebook page
- Twitter feed
- Baron Hill's biography at Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Footnotes
- ↑ Roll Call, "Ousted Democrat Announces Indiana Senate Bid (Updated)," May 15, 2015
- ↑ Indy Star, "Baron Hill withdraws from Senate race, possibly clearing way for Evan Bayh," July 11, 2016
- ↑ Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "HILL, Baron P., (1953 - )," accessed May 18, 2015
- ↑ News and Tribune, "Former Congressman Hill mulls run for governor," December 3, 2014
- ↑ Lucy Brenton for Senate, "Who is Lucy," accessed September 15, 2016
- ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "May 3, 2016 Primary Election," accessed February 8, 2016
- ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "November 8, 2016 General Election," accessed September 6, 2016
- ↑ Indianapolis Star, "Baron Hill withdraws from Senate race, likely clearing way for Evan Bayh," July 11, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Indianapolis Star, "Evan Bayh on running for Senate, Indiana residency," July 13, 2016
- ↑ Indianapolis Star, "Todd Young relies on Marine experience in surprise battle for Senate seat," October 30, 2016
- ↑ CNN, "Records contradict Bayh’s assertion over staying in Indiana," August 21, 2016
- ↑ South Bend Tribune, "Todd Young campaigns in South Bend," accessed September 14, 2016
- ↑ A Line of Sight, July 2010
- ↑ The Washington Post analysis
- ↑ US House Clerk, "Roll Call 690" December 10, 2008
- ↑ Gallup, "Among Recent Bills, Financial Reform a Lone Plus for Congress," September 13, 2010
- ↑ US House Clerk, "Roll Call 46," January 28, 2009
- ↑ Rasmussen, "38% Say Stimulus Plan Helped Economy, 36% Say It Hurt," August 24, 2010
- ↑ US House Clerk, "Roll Call 314," June 9, 2009
- ↑ Rasmussen, "54% Oppose “Cash for Clunkers” Plan To Spur Purchase of Greener Cars," June 23, 2009
- ↑ US House Clerk, "Roll Call 477," June 26, 2009
- ↑ Rasmussen, "42% Say Climate Change Bill Will Hurt The Economy," June 30, 2009
- ↑ US House Clerk, "Roll Call 165," March 21, 2010
- ↑ Rasmussen, "61% Favor Repeal of Healthcare Law," September 20, 2010
