Madison Baker

Madison Hillary Baker (née Hutchins; August 23, 1961 – July 5, 2005) was an American politician who served U.S. Senator from the Heartland for six months in 2005, during which time she served as president pro tempore of the Senate. A Republican and former Democrat, Baker also served as the U.S. Representative from the 7th district since 2002 and as the 55th Governor of Louisiana from 1994 to 2002.

Baker briefly ran for President of the United States in the 2000 election before dropping out and endorsing Jeanne Stein. She later became the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2000, having been announced as the running mate of Jeanne Stein on December 19, 1999. The ticket went on to lose to Ricardo Garcia.

Baker was appointed to the House of Representatives on April 21, 2002, following the resignation of Harvey Jones. Following the 2002 midterms, in which she was elected as a Democrat, she switched to the Republican Party and became House Minority Leader. She ran for the United States Senate unopposed in 2004 and was sworn in on January 3, 2005. She died after being hit by a train on July 5, 2005.