While Rep. Baron Hill (D) thinks about whether he might want to run for Indiana’s open Senate seat, his party’s chief recruiter sounds happy with the candidate who’s sure he wants to be the nominee.

Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) “represents the views of Hoosiers in that state,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (N.J.) said Wednesday.

Menendez pointedly noted that Ellsworth has taken formal steps to run for Senate and met the deadline to remove his name from the May 4 primary ballot.

“Ellsworth made a very clear distinction: He did not file for the House. He is pursuing this race for the Senate,” Menendez said.

Hill, who returned last weekend after a weeklong military trip abroad, is a candidate for re-election to the House, but he could still accept a Senate nomination and terminate his re-election campaign after the primary.

Hill said Tuesday that he will make a decision sometime this week about whether to seek the seat of retiring Sen. Evan Bayh (D).

A 32-member Democratic committee will choose a nominee who will face the winner of a five-candidate Republican primary.