Senator Evan Bayh, Democrat of Indiana, shocked his home state and the Democrat party today by announcing he will not run for reelection.  This is bad news for Democrats who counted that as a safe seat in what is otherwise a generally red state.  Senator Bayh has a sizable war chest and was favored to win reelection.  In announcing his decision to retire, he expressed confidence that he would have been reelected and cited increased partisan sniping in Washington  as his reason for withdrawing.  “All of this and much more has led me to believe that there are better ways to serve my fellow citizens, my beloved state and our nation than continued service in Congress,” he said.

Bayh has served two terms as a Senator.  Prior to that he served as Indiana’s Governor for two terms.