The Latest: Insiders could pick Senate, governor candidates

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Latest on developments in the Indiana U.S. Senate campaign (all times local):

2:30 p.m.

Indiana political insiders could soon be picking candidates in the races for U.S. Senate and governor.

Democratic Senate nominee Baron Hill announced Monday he is withdrawing from the race as Democratic officials say former Sen. Evan Bayh is expected to make another run for Senate. He retired in 2010 following two terms.

Hill's decision comes as Republican Gov. Mike Pence is considered a leading candidate to be Donald Trump's vice presidential running mate. Under state law Pence would have to withdraw from his bid for re-election by noon Friday if chosen by Trump and would be replaced on the ballot by the party.

The Democratic and Republican state committees would have 30 days to select new candidates.

The Indiana Democratic committee made a similar selection in 2010 after Bayh dropped his Senate re-election campaign just days before the filing deadline, leaving too little time for another candidate to qualify for the primary ballot.

___

12:45 p.m.

Democratic former Sen. Evan Bayh says Indiana's elected leaders in Washington, D.C., need to "put Hoosiers' interests ahead of any one political party."

Bayh released a statement Monday, shortly after Democratic Senate candidate Baron Hill announced he was dropping his bid.

Democratic officials with knowledge of Bayh's plans say he intends to run for the Senate. They spoke on the condition of anonymity in advance of an announcement by Bayh.

Bayh's statement does not say he will join the race. He says he spoke with Hill and both agree the "the stakes have never been higher."

The Indiana Democratic Party state committee will formally pick Hill's replacement, who will face Republican candidate Todd Young.

___

12:25 p.m.

Republican Senate candidate Todd Young's campaign is attacking former Sen. Evan Bayh on the prospect that he'll become the Democratic nominee for Indiana's open Senate seat.

Young's campaign says Bayh cashed in "with insurance companies and influence peddlers as a gold-plated lobbyist" after not seeking a third Senate term in 2010.

Democratic officials say Bayh is expected to make another run for Senate. He would replace former U.S. Rep. Baron Hill, who announced Monday he was withdrawing as the Democratic Senate nominee.

Young's campaign says the Senate seat "isn't the birthright of a wealthy lobbyist from Washington."

___

11:55 a.m.

Former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh will have a commanding fundraising lead in Indiana's U.S. Senate campaign if he becomes his party's nominee.

The latest federal reports show that Bayh had nearly $9.3 million in his campaign account at the end of March. Republican nominee U.S. Rep. Todd Young's campaign announced Monday that he had about $1.2 million in the bank on June 30.

Democratic officials say Bayh is expected to make another run for Senate after retiring in 2010 following two terms. Bayh has held onto most of his campaign money since his retirement.

Former Democratic Rep. Baron Hill was unopposed in the May primary for the Democratic nomination, but has struggled to raise campaign contributions. Hill announced Monday he has withdrawn from the Senate race.

__

11:30 a.m.

Democrat Baron Hill says he's dropping his Indiana U.S. Senate campaign because he doesn't want to stand in the way of his party winning the open seat.

Hill's announcement Monday morning comes as Democratic officials say that former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh is expected to make another run for Senate.

Hill is a former congressman who was unopposed in the May primary for the Democratic nomination. But Hill was not considered a strong candidate to take on the Republican nominee, U.S. Rep. Todd Young.

Hill says he believes Democrats can win the seat that GOP Sen. Dan Coats is giving up. Hill doesn't mention Bayh in his statement but says Democrats can have "a strong nominee who has the money, name identification and resources to win."

__

10:40 a.m.

Democratic officials say former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh is expected to make another run for Senate in Indiana.

The surprise development could dramatically improve Democratic chances to win the vacant seat and possibly take back control of the Senate.

Republican Sen. Dan Coats is retiring from the seat. The primary already happened and former Democratic Rep. Baron Hill won the nomination, but he filed papers Monday to withdraw.

Bayh retired from the Senate in 2010 following two terms. He has been sitting on about $10 million in campaign funds.

The Democrats spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of a public announcement.

The development was first reported by CNN.