Baron Hill

Baron Hill
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 9th district
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Mike Sodrel
Succeeded by	Todd Young
In office January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2005
Preceded by	Lee Hamilton
Succeeded by	Mike Sodrel
Personal details
Born	(1953-06-23) June 23, 1953 Seymour, Indiana, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Betty Schepman
Children	3
Alma mater	Furman University
Religion	Methodist
Website	http://www.baronhillforindiana.com/

Baron Paul Hill (born June 23, 1953) is the former U.S. Representative for Indiana's 9th congressional district, serving from 1999 to 2005 and from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

The district is located in the southeastern part of the state and stretched from Bloomington to the Indiana side of the Louisville metropolitan area.

Early life, education and career

Hill was a three-sport athlete at Seymour High School, where he was all-state in football and basketball. He was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.^[1]

Hill accepted an athletic scholarship to Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina; where he earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1975. After graduation, he moved back to Seymour and joined his family's insurance and real estate business.

Hill was a member of the Indiana House of Representatives from 1982 to 1990. He served as chairman of the Caucus Campaign Committee, where he helped elect a Democratic majority in the House.

In 1990, Hill ran against Senator Dan Coats to fill the last two years of Dan Quayle's term; Quayle had been elected Vice President. He lost, 54% to 46%. Hill made a name for himself during that campaign by walking the length of the state, from the Ohio River to Lake Michigan, to meet with voters.

U.S. House of Representatives

Hill was a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. He was named communication co-chair in December, 2003 and policy co-chair in December, 2008.

In 2001, Hill voted for a version of the "No Child Left Behind Act", which passed the House 384-45.^[2] In 2006, he said he was in favor of scrapping the version that passed,^[3] calling it a "more or less of a federal takeover of our system".^[4]

Hill has a minor part in Michael Moore's film Capitalism: A Love Story. In the film he talks about his choice to vote against the Wall Street bank bailout in late 2008.^[5]

Hill authored the Hill-Terry Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Bill in 2007.^[6]

On March 21, 2010, Hill voted in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and made his case for supporting it in a press release.^[7]

Committee assignments

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Environment
• Committee on Science and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
• Joint Economic Committee

Political campaigns

1998

Hill was elected to the House in November 1998. He defeated Republican Jean Leising, 51% to 48% and Libertarian Diane Merriam, 1%, winning the seat vacated by retiring 34-year incumbent Lee H. Hamilton.

2000

Hill was reelected in 2000, with 54 percent of the vote.

2002

Mike Sodrel, Hill‘s Republican opponent four times

In 2002, Hill defeated Republican Mike Sodrel with 51 percent of the vote. Sodrel, a New Albany trucking company owner, had 46 percent.

2004

In November 2004, in a rematch, Hill lost to Sodrel by a margin of about 1,500 votes. There was a recount, but the scope was limited because of the use of DRE voting machines in Indiana.

2006

Hill won the Democratic nomination in the 9th District in 2006. He was included in the "First Wave" of the Democratic Party's "Red-to-Blue" program.^[8]

Texas millionaire Bob J. Perry gave more than $5 million to the Economic Freedom Fund, a 527 group, which included Hill as one of its targets for removal. The group paid for automated "push poll" calls attacking Hill. Such calls were stopped after action by the Indiana Attorney General.^[9] Cook Political Report rated the race as a toss-up.^[10]

Baron Hill won the 2006 election with a preliminary 50% of the vote; Sodrel with 46% and Libertarian Eric Schansberg with roughly 4 percent. As is the custom for returning members of Congress, the Democrats gave Hill back his seniority. He was named to the Energy and Commerce and Science and Technology committees.

2008

In 2008 Hill and Sodrel again fought for the 9th District. Last year, the race moved between Likely D to Lean D on the Cook Political Report.^[11] Fund raising in 2008 had become more one-sided than in 2006, with Hill far ahead in the numbers game, according to reported income.^[12] Baron Hill voted against the $700 billion bailout bill and the week late $1 trillion bailout bill.

Hill defeated Sodrel in the election, 58% to 39%.^[13]

2010

Hill ran for reelection, challenged by Republican nominee Bloomington attorney Todd Young. During the campaign, the National Republican Congressional Committee ran ads asking "Is Baron Hill running for Congress in Indiana, or China?"^[14] He was defeated on November 2, 2010.

Post-congressional career

Following his defeat in 2010, Hill was hired by APCO Worldwide.The firm's clients include COSCO, PhRMA, Solar Trust and Dow Corning.^[14] In 2013, Hill left APCO to start his own lobbying firm, where he represents Cook Industries, a company located in his former district.

2016 Election

In 2014 Hill announced he was considering running for Governor in 2016.^[15]

Following the retirement announcement by Indiana Senator Dan Coats, Hill publicly expressed his interest in pursuing the Democratic nomination to fill the Senate seat.^[16] Hill officially announced on May 15, 2015, that he would seek the open senate seat as the Democratic nominee.

Electoral history

Personal life

Hill is married to Betty Schepman, a math teacher in the public schools. They have three adult daughters.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Baron Hill.

• Baron Hill for Congress at the Wayback Machine (archived July 30, 2008) official campaign site
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Project Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana 1st district Prince Call Boon Blake Boon Proffit Owen Embree Albertson Lockhart Miller Lockhart Niblack Law Niblack Fuller Heilman Kleiner Hovey Posey Parrett Taylor Hemenway Foster Boehne, Sr. Lieb Denton Luhring W. Wilson Rowbottom Boehne, Jr. Schulte Madden Benjamin Hall Visclosky 2nd district Jennings Carr Ewing J. W. Davis Ewing J. W. Davis Thompson Henley Dunham English Cravens Kerr Wolfe Williams Humphreys Cobb O'Neall Bretz Hardy Miers Chaney Cullop Bland Greenwood Durgan Halleck Landgrebe Fithian Sharp McIntosh Pence Chocola Donnelly Walorski 3rd district Test O. Smith Test Carty Carr Graham Carr J. L. White T. Smith Robinson Dunham Dunn Hughes Dunn Harrington R. Hill Hunter Holman Kerr Carr Bicknell Stockslager Howard Brown Tracewell Zenor Cox Dunbar Gardner Dunbar Crowe Pettengill Grant Crook Crumpacker Nimtz Brademas Hiler Roemer Souder Stutzman 4th district Lane Dunn T. Smith Cravens C. Smith Julian Parker Lane Cumback Foley Holman Farquhar Holman Julian Je. Wilson New Sexton New Holman Watson Holman Griffith Dixon Benham Canfield Farley Gillie Kruse Adair Roush Quayle Coats Long Souder Buyer Rokita 5th district McCarty Rariden Kennedy Brown Wick Brown Hendricks Parker Holloway Kilgore Julian Coburn Holman Browne Matson Cooper Overstreet Faris Holliday Moss Sanders N. Johnson Gillen Griswold Harness Walsh Beamer Roush Roudebush Hillis Jontz Buyer Burton Brooks 6th district Kinnard Herod Wick Wallace J. W. Davis Dunn Gorman Hendricks Barbour Gregg Porter Dumont Coburn Voorhees Hunter Robinson Myers Browne H. Johnson Watson Barnard Gray Comstock Elliott Larrabee Jenckes N. Johnson Harden Wampler Roudebush Bray Evans Burton Pence Messer 7th district Hannegan A. White Howard Lane Wright McGaughey Thompson McGaughey J. G. Davis Scott J. G. Davis Voorhees Washburn Orth Manson Cason Landers Hanna Matyr Peelle English Bynum Henry Overstreet Korbly Moores Updike Ludlow Greenwood Landis Noland Bray Myers Pease Kerns J. Carson A. Carson 8th district Pettit McDonald Mace Ja. Wilson A. White Orth Tyner Hunter Hostetler Peirce Lamb Johnston Brookshire Faris Henry Cromer Adair Vestal Boehne, Jr. La Follette Mitchell Denton Merrill Denton Zion Hayes Cornwell Deckard McCloskey Hostettler Ellsworth Bucshon 9th district Sample Cathcart Fitch Eddy Shanks Cason M. White Orth Doxey Ward Cheadle Waugh Hanly Landis Morrison Purnell Crowe E. Wilson Hogan E. Wilson Hamilton B. Hill Sodrel B. Hill Young 10th district Kennedy Rockhill Harlan Brenton Chamberlain Case Mitchell Edgerton Defrees Williams Sayler Haymond Calkins Motte T. Wood Owen Patton Hammond Hatch Crumpacker Peterson W. Wood Gray Springer Harvey Harmon Harvey Roudebush Dennis Sharp Jacobs, Jr. J. Carson 11th district Harlan Pettit Shanks McDowell Stilwell Shanks Packard Evans Cowgill Steele Martin Steele Landis Rauch Kraus Cook Hall Griswold Larrabee Ludlow Jacobs, Sr. Brownson Barr Bruce Jacobs, Jr. Hudnut Jacobs, Jr. 12th district Hamilton Colerick Lowry J. B. White McClellan McNagny Leighty Robinson Gilbert Gilhams Cline Fairfield Hogg Ludlow 13th district Baker Calkins Shively Ford Shively Conn Royse Brick Barnhart Hickey Pettengill At-large Hendricks Jennings Packard / Orth / Williams Territory Parke Thomas Jennings