Baron Paul Hill (born June 23, 1953) is an American retired politician who served as a U.S. representative for from 1999 to 2005 and from 2007 to 2011.

A native of Seymour, Indiana, Hill is a Democrat, and as a member of Congress belonged to the conservative-leaning Blue Dog Coalition of that party. Hill's district is in the southeastern part of the state, stretching from Bloomington to the Indiana side of the Louisville metropolitan area.

Early life and education Hill attended Seymour High School, where he was a first-team all-state player in basketball and an all-American. He set the record for leading scorer in school history, with 1,724 points. He was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.Madeline Buckley, Democrat Baron Hill joins U.S. Senate race, Indianapolis Star (June 3, 2015).

Hill graduated from high school in 1971 and accepted an athletic scholarship to Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, where he graduated in 1975.Indiana Election 2016 , Indiana Public Media. After graduating from college, Hill moved back to Seymour, Indiana and joined his family's business.

Indiana House of Representatives Hill was a member of the Indiana House of Representatives from 1982 to 1990.Maureen Hayden, Former Congressman Hill mulls run for governor, News and Tribune (December 3, 2014). Hill chaired the state House Democratic Caucus' Campaign Committee from 1985 to 1989,Congressional Staff Directory, Fall 2004: 108th Congress, Second Session (CQ Press, 2004), p. 423. and in that position helped Democrats win House elections and secure a majority.

1990 U.S. Senate bid In 1990, as a state representative, Hill ran for the U.S. Senate in the 1990 special election to fill the last two years of Dan Quayle's term (Quayle had been elected Vice President). Hill attracted much attention (and earned media) during that race for walking the length of the state (from the Ohio River to Lake Michigan) to meet with voters.Brian Howey, Hill walks to save his career, News and Tribune (August 28, 2010). Hill ultimately lost to Senator Dan Coats (who governor Robert Orr had appointed to fill the vacancy), 54% to 46%, a smaller margin than expected.

U.S. House of Representatives

Votes and positions

During five non-consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives, Hill was a member of the Blue Dog Coalition of moderate and conservative Democrats.Blue Dog and cap-and-trade backer Baron Hill loses, The Hill (November 3, 2010).Simone Pathé, Democrats Hope Baron Hill Can Follow Donnelly's Path to the Senate, Roll Call (July 31, 2015). Hill served as the Blue Dogs' co-chair for communicationsHouse Democratic Whip Hoyer and Blue Dogs Denounce Rising Bush Debt, Office of the Democratic Whip (press release) (March 4, 2004). and later as co-chair for policy.Ryan Grim, Blue Dog Membership List Released, Huffington Post (April 30, 2009).

In 2001, Hill voted for the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).David Mann, On the Record: Voting records for Baron Hill and Mike Sodrel, News and Tribune (November 6, 2006). In 2008, Hill said that the law needed to be revamped, saying that he did not object to accountability for schools, but that the act infringed too much on local control and unrealistically required special needs children to meet standardized testing requirements.Mike Westervelt, No Child Left Behind may need revamping, Purdue Exponent (February 15, 2008). Hill also said that the federal government had failed to provide an increase in federal school funding, as had been promised when NCLB was passed.

Hill voted in 2002 to authorize the use of the military force against Iraq in 2002,Alison Mitchell & Carl Hilse, Threats and Responses: Congress authorizes Bush to Use Force Against Iraq, Creating a Broad Mandate, New York Times (October 11, 2002). but criticized the George W. Bush administration's conduct of the reconstruction of Iraq.Iraq Occupation 'Going Better than Many Americans Think,' claims Bush, Voice of America (October 11, 2003).Baron Hill, Democrats Blast Bush Administration's Policy in Iraq (October 11, 2003). In October 2003, Hill said that the 2003 invasion had been well-planned but the subsequent reconstruction had not: "The president did not plan well for winning the peace and for rebuilding the nation." Hill blasted Bush's "go-it-alone" strategy and said that Bush had failed to obtain support from the international community, leading to huge U.S. expenditures that sapped away funding that could otherwise go to domestic priorities such as "homeland security, health care, education and debt reduction."

In 2007, Hill—along with Representative Lee Terry of Nebraska, a Republican—introduced a measure seeking to increase Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards to between 32 mpg (7.4 L/100 km) and 35 mpg (6.7 L/100 km) by 2022.James M. Amend, UAW Makes Pitch for Hill-Terry CAFE Proposal, Ward's Auto (July 31, 2007). The Hill-Terry proposal was more limited than a competing proposal introduced by Representative Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Representative Todd Russell Platts, Republican of Pennsylvania, which sought to raise CAFE standards for combined car-truck fleets to 35 mpg by 2018. The Hill-Terry proposal was supported by the United Auto Workers. and by industry groups such as the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and National Association of Manufacturers,Manufacturers and dealers unite behind Hill-Terry bill (press release). while the Markey-Platts proposal was backed by the Sierra Club and other environmentalist groups. The final energy bill was a compromise that mandated a 35 mpg CAFE standard by 2020.Lowell Ungar, How a bill signed by Bush and implemented by Obama is saving consumers billions, ACEEE (October 29, 2015).

In 2008, ahead of the Indiana presidential primary, Hill endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton.

Hill voted against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which created the Troubled Asset Relief Program ("Wall Street bailout"). Hill supported the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (Waxman-Markey), a cap-and-trade bill which ultimately did not pass. Hill also voted for the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (an economic stimulus package championed by President Obama) and the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, landmark health care reform legislation.Rep. Baron Hill voices support for health care reform bill, Evansville Courier & Press (March 20, 2010).

During his last years in the House, Hill earned a 70 percent rating from the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT rights advocacy group. Hill supported the repeal of don't ask, don't tell, voted for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in 2010, and opposed a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.Amanda Terkel, Conservative Democrat Baron Hill Rebrands Himself As Pro-Marriage Equality In Indiana Senate Race, Huffington Post (June 19, 2015). Hill did not campaign for same-sex marriage, however, and did not cosponsor legislation brought by 121 Democrats to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which barred federal recognition of same-sex marriage. As public attitudes changed, Hill's position shifted, and in 2015, while running for Senate, Hill said: "Marriage equality is especially close to my own heart. I’m proud of Hoosiers who are fighting to make sure our friends and neighbors are guaranteed equal rights."

Committee assignments 107th Congress (1999–2001): Agriculture; Armed Services; Veterans' Affairs.Official Alphabetical List of the House of Representatives of the United States: One Hundred Sixth Congress (1999–2001) (final ed.), Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. 107th Congress (2001–2003): Agriculture; Armed Services; Veterans' Affairs.Official Alphabetical List of the House of Representatives of the United States: One Hundred Seventh Congress (2001–2003) (final ed.), Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. 108th Congress (2003–2005): Agriculture; Armed Services.Official Alphabetical List of the House of Representatives of the United States: One Hundred Eighth Congress (2003–2005) (final ed.), Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. 110th Congress (2007–2009): Energy and Commerce; Science and Technology.Official Alphabetical List of the House of Representatives of the United States: One Hundred Tenth Congress (2007–2009) (final ed.), Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. 111th Congress (2009–2011): Energy and Commerce; Science and Technology. Official Alphabetical List of the House of Representatives of the United States: One Hundred Eleventh Congress (2009–2011) (final ed.), Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.

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, defeating Republican Michael Bailey 54% to 44%.

2002

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

2004 In November 2004, in a rematch, Hill lost to Sodrel by 1,425 votes (about a half of a percentage point). There was a recount following reports of voting irregularities, namely malfunctioning voting machines in at least three counties.Chip Reid, "Decision 2004 Not Yet Over in Some States", NBCnews.com, November 24, 2004.Roger Harvey. 9th District recount to begin at end of month, WTHR, November 17, 2004. Hill gained only about two dozen votes in the recount, however, and conceded the election in early December 2004.T.W. Farnam, "Round Four in Indiana's Ninth: Long-Running Rivalry Dramatizes Bitter Fight Over Seats in Congress", Wall Street Journal, January 9, 2008.

2006 Hill won the Democratic nomination in the 9th district in 2006. He was included in the "First Wave" of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "Red-to-Blue" program.

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. The group paid for automated "push poll" calls attacking Hill. Such calls were stopped after action by the Indiana Attorney General. Cook Political Report rated the race as a toss-up.

Hill won the 2006 election with 50% of the vote; Sodrel received 46% and Libertarian Eric Schansberg 4 percent.Statistics of the Congressional Elections of November 7, 2006, p. 15.

As is the custom for returning members of Congress, the Democrats gave Hill back his seniority.Ex-Reps. Looking to Regain Seniority, Roll Call (September 26, 2006). 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. The race moved between Likely D to Lean D on the Cook Political Report. Fund raising in 2008 had become more one-sided than in 2006, with Hill far ahead in the numbers game, according to reported income.

Hill defeated Sodrel in the election, 58% to 38%.

2010

Hill ran unsuccessfully for reelection, losing to Republican nominee Todd Young on November 2, 2010.

Electoral results