First things first: Indiana Democrats are not thinking about 2012, according to state party chair Dan Parker — they’ve got enough on their plate with the 2010 elections just few months away. But when I asked him about D.C. rumors that retiring Sen. Evan Bayh (D) is gearing up for a gubernatorial bid in two years, Parker wasn’t afraid to let his mind drift a bit past November.
“A lot of folks in the party would love to see Evan back,” Parker told me.
Parker said that Bayh would be welcome back to the campaign trail in Indiana, despite his sudden decision to drop his reelection bid this year, which left state Democrats high and dry in a tough year.
Yesterday, a Bayh spokesperson told me that the Senator hasn’t made any post-retirement plans.
Back in the Hoosier state, the concern remains November. Parker told me Democrats feel good about Rep. Brad Ellsworth’s (D) chances to keep Bayh’s seat, and that they won’t shun Bayh if he decides to make a run at returning to the job he held from 1989-1997.
Several candidates have announced their intentions to seek the Democratic gubernatorial, a front-runner has not yet emerged. Some candidates are already preparing to alter their plans if Bayh gets in. Lake County Sheriff Roy Dominguez, who’s been in the early stages of a run for a few months now, told the NWI Times he’d be happy to drop out and run as Bayh’s Lt. Gov.
