In a decision that has taken Republicans and Democrats by surprise Sen. Evan Bayh announced Monday that he will not seek re-election in 2010.
Bayh's decision comes on the day when Democratic party officials planned to file the petitions necessary to get his name on the May primary ballot.
The Senator says the Senate is no longer a place where he can accomplish his goals.
Former Republican Sen. Dan Coats announced his intentions to run against Bayh in early February, when Bayh was said to have had $13 million in his campaign war chest. Early polls suggested Bayh had a double-digit lead over the former senator.
Last week, Don Bates, Jr. of Richmond filed 6,000 petition signatures to become the first candidate for U.S. Senate to qualify for the ballot.
Bayh's decision not to run leaves the Democratic party scrambling to find a candidate for the Ballot.
Bayh was elected to the first of his two terms as U.S. Senator in 1998. He was re-elected in 2004. Prior to his tenure in the Senate, Bayh served two terms as Governor. Bayh became well know while serving as Secretary of State of Indiana. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Bayh’s name surfaced as a possible candidate for vice president.
