Baron Paul Hill (born June 23, 1953) is a retired American politician who served as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

for from 1999 to 2005 and from 2007 to 2011. A native of

Seymour, Indiana Seymour is a city in Jackson County, Indiana, United States. Its population was 21,569 at the 2020 census. The city is noted for its location at the intersection of two major north–south and east–west railroads, which cross each other in th ...

, Hill is a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, and as a member of Congress belonged to the

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

-leaning

Blue Dog Coalition The Blue Dog Coalition (commonly known as the Blue Dogs or Blue Dog Democrats) is a caucus in the United States House of Representatives comprising centrist members from the Democratic Party. The caucus was founded as a group of conservative De ...

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 The Louisville metropolitan area is the 43rd largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the United States. It had a population of 1,395,855 in 2020 according to the latest official census, and its principal city is Louisville, Kentucky. Th ...

Early life and education

Hill attended Seymour High School, where he was a first-team all-state player in

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

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 The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame is a sports museum and hall of fame in New Castle, Indiana. While it honors men and women associated with high school, college, and professional basketball in Indiana, an emphasis is placed on the athlete's high ...

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 Furman University is a private liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1826 and named for the clergyman Richard Furman, Furman University is the oldest private institution of higher learning in South Carolina. It became ...

Greenville, South Carolina Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...

, where he graduated in 1975.Indiana Election 2016
, Indiana Public Media. After graduating from college, Hill moved back to

and joined his family's business.

Indiana House of Representatives and 1990 U.S. Senate race

Hill was a member of the

Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House memb ...

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, and in that position helped Democrats win House elections and secure a majority. 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 James Danforth Quayle (; born February 4, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 44th vice president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republic ...

's term (Quayle had been elected

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...

). Hill attracted much attention (and

earned media Earned media (or free media) refers to publicity gained through promotional efforts other than advertising ( paid media) or branding (owned media). Background There are many types of media available to online marketers and fit into the broad cat ...

) during that race for walking the length of the state (from the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

) 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 the governor 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 The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

, Hill was a member of the

of moderate and

conservative Democrats In American politics, a conservative Democrat is a member of the Democratic Party with conservative political views, or with views that are conservative compared to the positions taken by other members of the Democratic Party. Traditionally, co ...

. Hill served as the Blue Dogs' co-chair for communications and later as co-chair for policy. In 2001, Hill voted for the

No Child Left Behind Act The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) was a U.S. Act of Congress that reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; it included Title I provisions applying to disadvantaged students. It supported standards-based education ...

(NCLB). 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 In clinical diagnostic and functional development, special needs (or additional needs) refers to individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. Guidelines for clinical diagnosis are given in ...

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, but criticized the

George W. Bush administration George W. Bush's tenure as the 43rd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2001, and ended on January 20, 2009. Bush, a Republican from Texas, took office following a narrow victory over Democratic ...

'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 The international community is an imprecise phrase used in geopolitics and international relations to refer to a broad group of people and governments of the world. As a rhetorical term Aside from its use as a general descriptor, the term is ...

, 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 Debt is an obligation that requires one party, the debtor, to pay money or other agreed-upon value to another party, the creditor. Debt is a deferred payment, or series of payments, which differentiates it from an immediate purchase. The ...

reduction." In 2007, Hill—along with Representative

Lee Terry Lee Raymond Terry (born January 29, 1962) is a former American politician and a senior law firm adviser. From 1999 to 2015, he served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for as a member of the Republican Party. Since 2015, Terry r ...

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

, 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 Edward John Markey (born July 11, 1946) is an American lawyer, politician, and former Army reservist who has served as the junior United States senator from Massachusetts since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. representat ...

, Democrat of Massachusetts, and Representative

Todd Russell Platts Todd Russell Platts (born March 5, 1962) is an American attorney and Republican Party politician who serves as a Judge on the York County Court of Common Pleas and is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2001 to 2013. The district, ...

, 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 The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States (including Puerto Rico ...

. and by industry groups such as the

Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers The Auto Alliance (AAM) is a defunct trade group of automobile manufacturers that operated in the United States. It was the leading advocacy group for the auto industry, representing 77% of all car and light truck sales in the United States. The ...

and

National Association of Manufacturers The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is an advocacy group headquartered in Washington, D.C., with additional offices across the United States. It is the nation's largest manufacturing industrial trade association, representing 14,000 s ...

, while the Markey-Platts proposal was backed by the

Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an environmental organization with chapters in all 50 United States, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by Scottish-American preservationist John Muir, who be ...

and other environmentalist groups. The final energy bill was a compromise that mandated a 35 mpg CAFE standard by 2020. In 2008, ahead of the Indiana presidential primary, Hill endorsed

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

over

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

. Hill voted against the

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, often called the "bank bailout of 2008", was proposed by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, passed by the 110th United States Congress, and signed into law by President George W. Bush. It became ...

, which created the

Troubled Asset Relief Program The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) is a program of the United States government to purchase toxic assets and equity from financial institutions to strengthen its financial sector that was passed by Congress and signed into law by President G ...

("Wall Street bailout"). Hill supported the

American Clean Energy and Security Act The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) was an energy bill in the 111th United States Congress () that would have established a variant of an emissions trading plan similar to the European Union Emission Trading Scheme. The bil ...

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 American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

(an

economic stimulus In economics, stimulus refers to attempts to use monetary policy or fiscal policy (or stabilization policy in general) to stimulate the economy. Stimulus can also refer to monetary policies such as lowering interest rates and quantitative easi ...

package championed by President Obama) and the 2010

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presi ...

, landmark

health care reform Health care reform is for the most part governmental policy that affects health care delivery in a given place. Health care reform typically attempts to: * Broaden the population that receives health care coverage through either public sector insur ...

legislation. During his last years in the House, Hill earned a 70 percent rating from the

Human Rights Campaign The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is an American LGBTQ advocacy group. It is the largest LGBTQ political lobbying organization within the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the organization focuses on protecting and expanding rights for LGB ...

, a

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 33 ...

advocacy group. Hill supported the repeal of

don't ask, don't tell "Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on military service of non-heterosexual people, instituted during the Clinton administration. The policy was issued under Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 on December ...

, voted for the

Employment Non-Discrimination Act The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is legislation proposed in the United States Congress that would prohibit discrimination in hiring and employment on the basis of sexual orientation or, depending on the version of the bill, gender ...

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 Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...

, however, and did not cosponsor legislation brought by 121 Democrats to repeal the

Defense of Marriage Act The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. It banned federal recognition of same-sex marriage by limiting the definition of marr ...

, 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 Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...

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 Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

;

Armed Services A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

;

Veterans' Affairs Veterans' affairs is an area of public policy concerned with relations between a government and its communities of military veterans. Some jurisdictions have a designated government agency or department, a Department of Veterans' Affairs, Minist ...

. * 107th Congress (2001-2003): Agriculture; Armed Services; Veterans' Affairs. * 108th Congress (2003-2005): Agriculture; Armed Services. *

110th Congress The 110th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009, during the last two years of the Presidency of George W. Bush. It was composed of ...

(2007-2009): Energy and Commerce;

Science and Technology Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an umbrella term used to group together the distinct but related technical disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The term is typically used in the context of ...

. *

111th Congress The 111th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. It began during the last weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with th ...

(2009-2011): Energy and Commerce; Science and Technology.

Campaigns

1998

Hill was elected to the House in November 1998. He defeated Republican

Jean Leising Jean Leising (born January 10, 1949) is an American politician from the State of Indiana. She is a Republican member of the Indiana Senate, representing the 42nd District from 1989 to 1996 and from 2008 to the present. She was Assistant Majority ...

, 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

In 2002, Hill defeated Republican

Mike Sodrel Michael E. Sodrel (born December 17, 1945) is an American politician and businessman who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Indiana's 9th congressional district from 2005 to 2007. Sodrel launched another run aga ...

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 razor-thin margin of about 1,500 votes (about a half of a percentage point). There was a recount following reports of voting irregularities, namely malfunctioning

voting machines A voting machine is a machine used to record votes in an election without paper. The first voting machines were mechanical but it is increasingly more common to use ''electronic voting machines''. Traditionally, a voting machine has been defin ...

in at least three counties. Hill gained only about two dozen votes in the recount, however, and conceded the election in early December 2004.

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 The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is the United States Democratic Party, Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. The DCCC recruits candidates, raises ...

's "Red-to-Blue" program. Texas millionaire Bob J. Perry gave more than $5 million to the

Economic Freedom Fund The Economic Freedom Fund (EFF) is a 527 group started in 2006 by Bob J. Perry, with a $5 million donation. Only one person is officially associated with the group: Charles H. Bell Jr., a lawyer from California, who is the general counsel for the ...

, a

527 group A 527 organization or 527 group is a type of U.S. tax-exempt organization organized under Section 527 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (). A 527 group is created primarily to influence the selection, nomination, election, appointment or defeat ...

, 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. ''

Cook Political Report ''The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter'' is an American online newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns for the U.S. Presidency, the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and U.S. governors' offices. Sel ...

'' 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. He was named to the Energy and Commerce and

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 39%.

2010

Hill ran unsuccessfully for reelection, losing to Republican nominee

Todd Young Todd Christopher Young (born August 24, 1972) is an American attorney and politician serving as the senior United States senator for Indiana, a seat he has held since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Young previously served as the U.S. r ...

on November 2, 2010.

Electoral results

Post-congressional career

In 2011, after leaving Congress, Hill was hired by

APCO Worldwide APCO Worldwide is a independent global public affairs and strategic communications consultancy. With 680 employees in 35 worldwide locations, it is also the fifth largest independently owned PR firm in the United States. Headquartered in Wa ...

, "as a senior vice president in the company's government relations practice and a member of the firm's international advisory council." APCO represents a number of clients listed in

Lobbying Disclosure Act The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 () was legislation in the United States aimed at bringing increased accountability to federal lobbying practices in the United States. The law was amended substantially by the Honest Leadership and Open Gov ...

filings.Byron Tau
Baron Hill strikes out on his own — JGE Consulting inks BMW
Politico.com, October 16, 2014. In 2014, Hill left APCO to start his own solo lobbying firm, representing Cook Industries, a company located in his former district.

2016 election for U.S. Senate

In 2014, Hill announced he was considering running for Governor in 2016. Following an announcement by Senator Dan Coats that he would not seek reelection, however, Hill announced on May 15, 2015, that he would seek the open Senate seat as the Democratic nominee.Emily Cahn
Ousted Democrat Announces Indiana Senate Bid (Updated)
''Roll Call'' (May 15, 2015). Democratic state Representative

Christina Hale Christina Hale (born July 17, 1974) is an American politician and former State Representative of the 87th District in the Indiana House of Representatives, serving from 2012 to 2016. She previously worked as an executive at Kiwanis. In 2020, she w ...

considered running for the seat as well, but ultimately decided against it. Former Governor

Evan Bayh Birch Evans Bayh III ( ; born December 26, 1955) is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States senator from Indiana from 1999 to 2011 and the 46th governor of Indiana from 1989 to 1997. Bayh w ...

, who from 1999 to 2011 served in the Senate in the same seat held by Coats, initially opted against joining the race. Hill therefore ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination, setting up a rematch with Todd Young.Maureen Groppe
Young wins GOP Senate primary over Stutzman
''Indianapolis Star'' (May 3, 2016). However, Hill withdrew from the general election on July 11, 2016, in favor of Bayh, who announced he was entering the race. Young won the general election on November 8, 2016.

Personal life

Hill is married to Betty Hill (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Schepman), a public-school math teacher. They have three adult daughters.Eric Bradner
Pair divided on deficit: Barin Hill
''Evansville Courier & Press'' (October 17, 2010). Hill is a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

and a member of the First United Methodist Church in Seymour."Three challenging Hill in 9th District"
''Madison Courier'', October 25, 2010.

References

External links

* , - , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Baron 1953 births 21st-century American politicians American men's basketball players American lobbyists American United Methodists Basketball players from Indiana Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana Furman Paladins football players Furman Paladins men's basketball players Living people Democratic Party members of the Indiana House of Representatives People from Seymour, Indiana Players of American football from Indiana Candidates in the 2016 United States Senate elections