Former Dem Sen. Evan Bayh Announces He’s Entering Indiana Senate Race

FILE- In this Dec. 20, 2010 file photo, Sen. Evan Bayh speaks at Fort Wayne International Airport, Fort Wayne, Ind. Members of Congress can pretty much do whatever they want with leftover campaign cash when they leav... FILE- In this Dec. 20, 2010 file photo, Sen. Evan Bayh speaks at Fort Wayne International Airport, Fort Wayne, Ind. Members of Congress can pretty much do whatever they want with leftover campaign cash when they leave office except use it for personal expenses. Former Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh has kept $10 million in campaign contributions for the last five years, leaving people wondering whether he’ll use it to return to politics. (Samuel Hoffman/The Journal Gazette, File) MORE LESS
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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh is launching a bid again represent Indiana in the U.S. Senate.

Bayh announced Wednesday that he would seek to make the political comeback. Two days earlier, former U.S. Rep. Baron Hill cleared the way by withdrawing as the Democratic nominee.

Bayh complained of the partisanship and gridlock when he left the Senate in 2010, but says he “can no longer sit on the sidelines.”

Bayh’s return boosts the chances of Democrats to win the seat now held by Republican Sen. Dan Coats, who is retiring.

National Democrats pushed for Bayh to enter the race, seeing him as having a better chance to defeat GOP candidate U.S. Rep. Todd Young as Democrats seek to gain the four or five seats they need to win Senate control.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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