1990 United States Senate special election in Indiana
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The 1990 United States Senate special election in Indiana was a special election held on November 6, 1990, in order to fill Indiana's Class III Senate seat in the United States Senate. Incumbent Republican Senator Dan Coats, who was appointed to replace Dan Quayle two years prior, was challenged by Democratic nominee Baron Hill, a state representative from Seymour, Indiana won the election to serve out the remainder of the term.
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November 6, 1990
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 County results Coats: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Hill: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Background
In 1986, incumbent Senator Dan Quayle sought reelection facing Democratic challenger Jill Long and was reelected in a landslide.[1] During the 1988 presidential election, Republican nominee George H. W. Bush selected Quayle as his running mate.[2] The Bush-Quayle ticket defeated the Dukakis-Bentsen ticket in the general election by a 53% to 46% margin, capturing 40 states and 426 electoral votes.[3] After being elected, Quayle resigned from the Senate. Indiana Governor Robert D. Orr appointed Representative Dan Coats of Indiana's 4th congressional district to fill the vacancy.[4]
The 1990 election was held as part of the midterm election cycle of Republican President George H. W. Bush's term.[5] Historically, the President's party struggles during the midterms.[6]
Primaries
- Baron Hill (Democrat), State Representative[7]
- Dan Coats (Republican), incumbent U.S. Senator[7]
Coats and Hill both won their respective party's nomination unopposed.[7]
General election
Coats used television commercials that raised questions about Hill's consistency in opposing new taxes, and Hill gained notoriety for walking the length of the state to meet voters.
Results
The election was held on November 6, 1990.[8][9] Coats, like most incumbents in the 1990 United States Senate elections,[10] was able to hold his seat, winning the remainder of Quayle's term.[11][12]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dan Coats (incumbent) | 806,048 | 53.64% | −6.93% | |
| Democratic | Baron Hill | 696,639 | 46.36% | +7.85% | |
| Total votes | 1,502,687 | 100.0% | N/A | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
Aftermath
On January 3, 1991, Coats was sworn in to the 102nd United States Congress by then–Vice President Quayle alongside his fellow Senator-elect.[14] In the 1992 United States Senate election in Indiana, Coats was elected for a full term.[15]