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By DAVE KITCHELL
LOGANSPORT - We may never know who would have been Indiana’s next senator had Sen. Evan Bayh been the running mate for a President Barack Obama.
Had there been a Vice President Bayh in 2009, the decision to choose the next Indiana senator would have rested with Indiana’s governor. Assuming Mitch Daniels would win a second term in November, here are some names Daniels might have had on his short list. The same names also are significant because when Sen. Richard Lugar finally retires from the Senate, his replacement might come from this list:
Tim Berry: A seasoned state official from Fort Wayne who served two terms as treasurer and has been mentioned as a candidate for Fort Wayne mayor. He still has political upside, but has not tested the waters of Congress. He’s young enough to serve multiple terms in Congress and likable as a statewide candidate.
Paul Helmke: Yes, another Fort Wayne candidate, but the former mayor of the Summit City actually ran for the seat Bayh now holds and won one of the toughest contested primary races for statewide office in 20th century Indiana. That political capital was wasted in a race against Rep. Mark Souder.
Becky Skillman: Not likely, but a sure way to guarantee the first Indiana female senator would be a Republican.
Chris Chocola: Four years of experience in Washington is a plus, and he likely would stand a better chance of winning a statewide race than another race in the 2nd District.
Dan Coats. The man, who ironically was the last appointed senator from Indiana, walked away from a race with Bayh. Ten years in the Senate is the most experience any Indiana Republican has for the job, even more than his predecessor, Dan Quayle.
Ed Pease: The former 7th District congressman served well and left on good terms. Seemingly a more moderate candidate than other choices.
This list is maybe not the list a lot of Republicans would expect to see, but not everyone wants to serve in Washington and few people have either the experience there or the ear of the person who will be appointing them.
As for the Democrats, the list a Gov. Jill Long Thompson might have made:
Baron Hill: He’s now in his second stint in Congress, but more importantly, ran well in his only statewide campaign against Coats in 1990.
Peter Visclosky: Maybe the best choice in either party for a vacant Senate seat. No one could blame him if he doesn’t seek the office when it becomes available because he has as safe a seat as seats come in Congress. An appointment by the governor might be the only way to get him to the Senate.
Joe Hogsett: The former Indiana secretary of state has run for this office before. Given his friendship with Bayh, he would be the natural choice.
Joe Andrew: The former Democratic National Committee chair is a master campaigner and fund-raiser and could be a natural conduit for the party between Indianapolis and D.C.
Woody Myers: The doctor who was probably the most attractive of all congressional candidates who did not win in the recent Indiana primaries is too good not to be somewhere in government or public service.
Kathy Davis: One of the most brilliant minds in Indianapolis and state government had a short stay as lieutenant governor, but her skill set may be a better fit for the Senate than the Statehouse.
Susan Williams: A savvy former Indianapolis woman who heads up the Sports Corporation and has worked in state government and run for state office.
More names could be out there, but Bayh and Lugar are two ensconced names in the U.S. Senate. It could be many years before there is serious thought and debate about who really will be Indiana’s next senator.
Dave Kitchell is a veteran political journalist from Logansport and a journalism instructor at Ball State.
Tags: Baron Hill, Becky Skillman, Chris Chocola, Dan Coats, Dave Kitchell, Ed Pease, Joe Andrew, Joe Hogsett, Kathy Davis, Paul Helmke, Peter Visclosky, Susan Williams, Tim Berry, Woody Myers
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