Evan Bayh Looking Vulnerable in Indiana Senate Race

Two-term Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh is looking vulnerable in Indiana where he is polling under 50 percent when matched against three possible Republican challengers, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Jan. 21 and 24.

Five-term Republican Rep. Mike Pence is not an announced candidate for the race but Politico reports that national GOP leaders are trying to recruit him. Matched against Bayh, Pence leads 47 percent to 44 percent with 3 percent preferring some other candidate and 7 percent undecided. The margin of error is 3.5 points.

Bayh leads former Rep. John Hostettler 44 percent to 41 percent with 3 percent preferring someone else and 12 percent undecided.

The only opponent against whom Bayh has a significant advantage is state Sen. Marlin Stutzman, who he leads 45 percent to 33 percent with 5 percent preferring someone else and 16 percent undecided.

"As in many other states, there is a strong correlation between support for the congressional health care plan and voting behavior. Just 37 percent of Indiana voters favor the plan, while 60 percent oppose it," Rasmussen says. "Those who strongly favor the plan overwhelmingly prefer Bayh. Among those who are strongly opposed, 80 percent say they'd vote for Pence, 70 percent for Hostettler and 56 percent for Stutzman."

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