Indiana’s U.S. Senate race has taken on a nasty tone with just four months to go before the election. It’s the same sort of attack that was leveled at Republican Dan Coats in his 2010 Senate campaign – an unsuccessful attack, since Coats won.
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“After touring musical equipment seller Sweetwater on Thursday, U.S. Senate candidate Evan Bayh seemed ready to belt out the Elvis Costello hit song “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding”.
Bayh’s entry into the race could have national importance as Democrats try to regain control of the chamber this fall.
Bayh says job growth is an important part of his campaign, and asked Surack questions about his plans to expand.
State political insiders have been saying the Democratic Party pulled strings and forced former U.S. Rep. Baron Hill to step out of the race, believing Bayh had a much better chance of beating young. “He attacked your congressman, too, in the primary”, Bayh told local reporters, a reference to the Republican nomination battle between Young, R-9th, and Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-3rd.
“I’m not going to let my opponent lie about me”, he said.
Young’s campaign released digital ads this week calling Bayh a “super lobbyist”.
The 60-year-old Bayh, was a two-term governor before winning his first Senate election in 1998, will have advantages of name identification and campaign cash over Young.
Bayh cited frustration with Washington gridlock when he retired, but began airing TV ads around the state last week in which he says that partisanship has become even worse and he “can’t sit on the sidelines”. Bayh and Bob Kern, who has run for Congress several times in various districts, are the only candidates to replace Hill.
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Young said his focus remains steady on solutions and he will continue to emphasize his connections with Hoosiers.
