Bayh on running for Senate, Indiana residency

WASHINGTON — Former Sen. Evan Bayh said the same partisanship and gridlock that prompted his 2010 retirement is the reason he is seeking to return to the Senate.

“Things in Washington have only gotten worse, and it grieves me to see what’s happened in our country, the unmet challenges that so many of our families face,” Bayh told IndyStar in his first media interview after announcing Wednesday he was entering the race. “I just concluded that I couldn’t stand on the sidelines anymore and needed to do what I could to try and bring us together to meet our challenges.”

The former two-term senator and two-term governor would replace former Rep. Baron Hill, who won the Democratic primary for Indiana’s open Senate seat but withdrew from the ticket Monday. That cleared the way for the state party to pick Bayh when leaders meet July 22 to choose a new candidate in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Dan Coats.

Bayh's entrance instantly makes the race against GOP Rep. Todd Young more competitive because of Bayh's name recognition, his winning electoral record and the more than $9 million in leftover campaign money he has on hand.

Read more: http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2016/07/13/bayh-makes-senate-bid-official/87026058/