Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita was contemplating a run at Senator Evan Bayh’s seat only a few days ago. However, last week's announcement that Congressman Steve Buyer was retiring has shaken up the political scene. Now, Rokita is in the hunt for Buyer’s seat.
The race for Buyer’s seat already has a handful of participants and they are expected to be joined soon by State Senator Brandt Hershman, who is a friend and aide of Buyer and who is expected to receive Buyer’s endorsement to take the seat.
The People’s Seat
Rokita spoke to Buyer on the phone Monday but did not ask for his endorsement, saying that he did not want to “interfere with the bond between principal and deputy.” Rokita went on to remind 4th District voters that the seat is not Buyer’s seat and he does not get to pick his predecessor; he called the seat “the people’s seat,” perhaps wanting to invoke the popular theme of Scott Brown’s recent successful senatorial campaign.
Solid Republican District
Excluding the possibility of a complete change in the political paradigm in Indiana, the primary battle will be the only significant battle for the 4th district. According to the WIBC newsroom, the 4th district is the most solidly republican seat in the state since the 2002 redistricting. Buyer has never received less than 60% of the vote in his reelection bids.
Confusing Geography
The 4th Congressional District looks like it was drawn by a 2 year old. It spans from Northwest of Kokomo, bypasses Indianapolis and Marion County and loops back east to grab most of Greenwood. It also snags Franklin and the Whitelands as it heads south. It then dances west around Trafalgar and Bloomington before stopping south of Brown County State Park near Mitchell and Bedford. Seems logical enough…
The Bottom Line
Bizarre geography aside, this race for Buyer’s seat will be a good one. The contenders do not have to focus too much on the democratic challengers that may surface and voters do not have to worry about watered-down conservatism, sell-outs to the left or RINOs. With no obvious successor to Buyer and no serous threat of a democratic challenger, a robust primary battle makes sense.
The same cannot be said about the challenge for Congressman Dan Burton’s seat over in the 5th, but more on that later.
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