Indiana is one of the Republicans' strongest Midwestern states, even though there have been a few cracks there in recent years (like President Obama unexpectedly winning the state in 2008 and Democrat Joe Donnelly unexpectedly pulling an upset for a U.S. Senate seat in 2012).
Regardless of Indiana's history as a solid Republican bastion, however, there are signs of trouble for Republicans in terms of their ability to keep this seat after the retirement of Sen. Dan Coats, who has decided not to seek reelection.
The Republicans' chosen one for the seat, someone who virtually everyone thought was not only a lock for the Republican nomination but to win the seat in November, may not even get on the ballot.
GOP Rep. Todd Young, the party's chosen successor to Coats, appears to not have met the minimum signature requirements to get on the Republican primary ballot. Challenges are now coming not only from Democrats, but from Young's Republican challenger, Rep. Marlin Stutzman.
Democrats actually have a credible candidate in former Rep. Baron Hill (shown in photo above) who, coincidentally, lost his seat to Todd Young in the 2010 Republican tsunami.
However, this is 2016, a presidential election year, where presidential election turnout might help Hill, especially if Young is successfully kept off the Republican ballot.
This race is still far from even being considered competitive yet, until we see how things shake out in terms of whether Young is officially declared ineligible to run in the Republican primary.
According to Politico, if Young does not make the primary ballot, Stutzman would automatically win the Republican nomination since he’s the only remaining Republican.
Stutzman is a member of the House Freedom Caucus. While Indiana is a pretty solid red state, one which has elected its fair share of very conservative people (i.e. the current Governor, Mike Pence), having a far-right conservative like Stutzman might give Hill a shot.
We’ll know soon whether Young makes the Republican primary ballot. A meeting by the Indiana elections authority is set for Friday (Feb. 19) to resolve the ballot access challenges, according to Politico.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/key-senate-race-faces-unexpected-shakeup
www.politico.com/…