Former Indiana Gov. and Sen. Evan Bayh announced Wednesday that he will run for the U.S. Senate, making it official two days before the filing deadline.
In a press release, Bayh vowed to bring “Indiana common sense” back to Washington after six years out of office. He is running against GOP Rep. Todd Young, who won the nod after beating Rep. Marlin Stutzman in the state’s May primary.
“With the challenges facing Indiana and our country, I can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch as partisan bickering grinds Washington to a halt. Hoosier families deserve more and I’ve decided to run to take their cause to the U.S. Senate,” Bayh said in a statement.
Bayh previously served two terms both as the state’s governor (1989-1997) and as a U.S. senator (1999-2011) before abruptly retiring at the end of his second term. The race is considered a “toss-up” and puts another seat into play for Democrats, who are trying to win back five seats to retake the majority.
Young’s campaign is already attacking Bayh in a number of ways, particularly for his three mansions he owns, two of which are in Washington D.C., and the other in Florida. All three are valued at $2.4 million or more. He’s also under attack for his time spent out of office. Over the past year alone, Bayh made almost $1 million serving on corporate boards.
Bayh has an impressive campaign war chest, and still has nearly $10 million in his coffers.
