IN-Sen: Hostettler To Challenge Bayh

Here’s a strange blast from the not-too-distant past:

Former Rep. John Hostettler (R-Ind.) announced Thursday that he will challenge Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh in 2010.

In a YouTube video, Hostettler repeatedly ties Bayh to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, blaming the pair for what he calls a failed economic stimulus package.

Hostettler served in the House from 1994 to 2006, when he was the victim of the biggest defeat of any incumbent in that wave year, losing 61-39 to then-Vanderburgh Co. Sheriff Brad Ellsworth. This came after the NRCC had to give up on supporting him, concluding that he “wasn’t listening” to them, which may be code for “wasn’t taking PAC contributions,” something he’d always refused to do.

Given Hostettler’s frequent bucking of House leadership (he was one of only six Republicans to vote against authorizing the Iraq War) and his antipathy to fundraising, I can’t see the NRSC taking much interest here — leaving him with only grass roots support to go up against Evan Bayh and his $13 million. However, given Hostettler’s extreme conservatism and his love of guns (as seen in his having to plead guilty after taking a gun through airport security in 2004), he could certainly arouse the sympathies of the teabagger movement. (Of course, he’ll still need to get past state Sen. Marlin Stutzman in the primary — no guarantee, despite his superior name rec, if the establishment tries to box him out.)

RaceTracker Wiki: IN-Sen

57 thoughts on “IN-Sen: Hostettler To Challenge Bayh”

  1. Hostettler repeatedly ties Bayh to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

    Not Obama?  That’s new.  Don’t see either method working, but certainly trying to tie Bayh to a far less known leader isn’t going to gain much ground.

  3. Is Hostettler going to run the same top-notch campaign he usually does?  With mainly family members running the campaign offices and getting outspent 10-1?

    I’m sure Bayh is realyy nervous about this.  If he has a bad 2010 he might not break 65% of the vote.

  4. Remember that Hostettler was last seen losing to Brad Ellsworth in 2006 61-39. Even though 2006 was strongly Democratic, that’s still really pathetic for an incumbent in a then-R+9 district without a major scandal.

  7. Sen Bayh thought he was going to get a pass and run against a no name. Hostettler has a name, a record and a history of energizing his base.

    Hostettler got elected by turning out his base. He lost in 2006 when the GOP base was de-energized.

    If 2010 turns into a GOP year Hostettler could give Evan Bayh a run for his money in what is a GOP leaning state.

    This means Bayh has to raise money, run hard and watch himself on key votes.

    If Bayh is the deciding vote on healthcare watch a candidate like Hostettler take him to task for it.

  9.      We’re never going to get anywhere with “Democrats” like Bayh. I’d like to see Indiana progressives vote for Hostettler to defeat Bayh in 2010, and then we’d have a shot at a decent senator in 2016, with Hostettler an easy target.

  11. that I could actually see a right-wing populist like Hostettler getting some traction.  Although not enough to really have a chance to win.

  13. Per Nate Silver

    http://www.fivethirtyeight.com…

    The racial demographics, however, are perhaps even more striking. Whereas 68 percent of white voters told Research 2000 they were definitely or probably planning to vote in 2010, just 33 percent of black voters did. Although whites have almost always turned out at greater rates than blacks, the racial gap has never been nearly that large, and indeed was at its smallest-ever levels in 2008 with Barack Obama on the ballot.

    The ’08 gap: “64.8 percent of whites voted versus 60.8 percent of African-Americans. “

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