NEW ALBANY, Ind. Former Congressman and former motorcoach operator Mike Sodrel may be gearing up from another race for Congress, according to Congressional Quarterly.

The respected nonpartisan political publication says Sodrel is "widely expected" to face off for the fourth time against Baron Hill, the man who beat him in 2006 and 2002. Sodrel beat Hill in 2004.

Because of their three previous contests, Congressional Quarterly says Hill and Sodrel probably know each other as well as any two political rivals in the country. Theyve been battling over the same swath of southern Indiana real estate for all of this decade.

Hill, the Democrat, won their third contest last fall by 10,000 votes. In 2004, Sodrel won by 1,400 votes, aided in part by President Bush running for re-election and taking 59 percent of the district vote. Two years before, Hill had won a third House term by 9,500 votes.

Sodrel was a GOP hero in the 04 election because he was the only House Republican candidate in the nation to unseat an incumbent Democrat.

Now, halfway through the first year of his fourth term, Hill is being targeted again as one of the most vulnerable Democratic incumbents in the country.

"Sodrel is widely expected to run for a fourth time in 2008, when the most reliably 'red' state in the Midwest will be predicted to vote Republican in an 11th consecutive presidential election -- although numerous political observers who are familiar with politics in southeastern Indiana say he may not announce until next February, after the presidential primaries shake out," Congressional Quarterly reported.

There are a lot of people desiring another Sodrel run, according to Dave Matthews, the GOP chairman of Floyd County, which includes Sodrels hometown of New Albany.

Sodrel has plenty of name recognition and he has demonstrated a willingness to spend his own money on his races. He has donated nearly $1.75 million to his own campaigns since 2002.

Hill already is building cash for his next run, with $544,000 on hand at the end of June, nearly twice what he had at this point four years ago, the last time he was running as an incumbent.

Before being elected to Congress, Sodrel headed The Free Enterprise System, a large motorcoach operation he founded in Jeffersonville, Ind.