Rep. Baron Hill backs Ellsworth for Bayh seat

The five Republicans who want to replace Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh shared a stage hours after the race for the Democratic pick cleared up more. Rep. Baron Hill said he’d seek re-election to the House and endorsed Rep. Brad Ellsworth for the Senate.

None of the four other Republican candidates at Saturday’s Henry County GOP event brought up the questions Coats has faced over his work as a Washington lobbyist and years away from Indiana since leaving the Senate in 1999.

All drew frequent applause from the crowd of about 200 people by faulting President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress for their handling of the economy, push for revamping the health-care system and increased federal spending.

“Washington is completely out of touch with America,” said Indiana Sen. Marlin Stutzman. “I believe that people voted to change Washington, not to change America.”

The Republican primary campaign has taken on greater importance since Bayh announced he wouldn’t seek a third term.

Hill, a five-term Democratic congressman from southern Indiana, said he considered the Senate race but decided to continue his House re-election campaign. Hill backed Ellsworth, a second-term congressman who entered the Senate race after Bayh’s announcement.

Former state Democratic chairman Robin Winston said he didn’t expect other top-tier candidates to pursue the party’s nomination. He said Ellsworth appears to have the inside track.

“He has certainly picked up a lot of support, and, at this point, it looks like he has the experience at the federal level that Hoosier voters may want,” Winston said.

Coats said he believed voters will be better served by the nine weeks remaining in the Republican primary campaign that also involves former Rep. John Hostettler, financial adviser Don Bates Jr. and tea party organizer Richard Behney.

The Democratic nominee will be decided by the party’s 32-member state central committee because the timing of Bayh’s announcement left no time for a party candidate to submit enough .signatures by the filing deadline.