Hiler was elected as a
Republican to the
97th and to the four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1991). In 1980, he unseated 22-year
Democratic incumbent and
House Majority Whip John Brademas in a major upset that was driven largely by the national political climate and the
Ronald Reagan vs.
Jimmy Carter presidential election campaign. He was reelected four times in hard-fought campaigns, but was narrowly defeated for reelection to the
102nd Congress in 1990 by one of Brademas' former staffers,
Tim Roemer.
Later career He was deputy administrator at the
General Services Administration from 1991 to 1993. A business executive with Hiler Industries, he is a resident of
South Bend, Indiana. ==References==