State of Play:

The surprise retirement of Sen. Evan Bayh, D, has put Democrats’ chances of holding his seat into serious doubt. Because of the timing, no Democrats qualified for the ballot. A panel of insiders will choose their nominee, and the leading contenders are Reps. Baron Hill and Brad Ellsworth, who represent two districts in the south of the state. Republicans will choose between former Sen. Dan Coats, former Rep. John Hostettler, and state Sen. Marlin Stutzman.