Bayh to run for Senate in IN, boosts Democrats’ chances

Democratic nominee Baron Hill dropped out of Indiana’s U.S. Senate race Monday, paving the way for his potential replacement by former U.S. Sen. Consider this a stark example of the hard-knuckle politics of 2016.

Baron Hill withdrew today from the Indiana Senate race and could be replaced on the ticket by former Sen. Hill, by comparison, had less than $400,000 available to challenge Todd Young. Young raised $3.7 million through mid-April.

Democrats have been heavily recruiting Bayh to run for the seat, in part because he had $10 million in a campaign account when he retired, according to CNN.

However, former Sen. Bayh, who the party has been courting for months, forfeited his seat to avoid drowning in the 2010 tea party wave after serving just two terms.

Hill did not mention Bayh when he announced that he was dropping out of the race, but did mention qualities that match Bayh’s resume.

“Baron Hill has always put IN first, and has been focused on setting aside party differences to strengthen our state and country”, Bayh said.

Hill said in a written statement Monday morning that he “filed the necessary paperwork to withdraw from the race” and he notified the Indiana Democratic Party. “Congressman Hill has informed me of his withdrawal from the U.S. Senate race”. He is also a close friend of Hillary Clinton and a win in IN could help her party grab control of the U.S. Senate. He said working in tandem, they would coordinate state tax dollars with federal tax dollars and make sure in gets its fair share. “And the stakes are too high in this election not to put by country above my own political ambitions”.

Bayh’s statement does not say he will join the race.

Bayh is tight with the Clintons and his campaigning for the Senate could threaten the republican hold on Indiana. Before that, he was governor for two terms. Bayh comes packaged with almost 10 million dollars in unspent campaign money left over from his previous Senate run, along with significantly higher name recognition.

He served two terms as IN secretary of state and two terms as IN governor before being elected to the U.S. Senate. Now, Bayh is seeking to do what Coats did after Coats himself decided he would only serve one term.

“It is obvious that the Indiana Democrats have lost faith in the people’s choice of the Democrat Senate Candidate”, said Indiana Republican Party Chairman Jeff Cardwell. The he went to the US Senate.

“I think Baron, first of all, is the unsung hero here. We gotta get that in our minds”. Senate Democrats are also helped by the fact that it’s a presidential election year. If Hillary Clinton wins the White House, four gives Democrats the majority and Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) would take McConnell’s place.