Harmless: Bayh in it For The Long-Haul

Harmless was executive director of the Indiana Democratic Party from 1996-1998.

The former executive director of the Indiana Democratic Party expects Evan Bayh’s return to politics to be a long-term decision. Mike Harmless helped coordinate Bayh’s campaign when he first ran for the U.S. Senate in the late 1990s. Harmless says Bayh, who announced another run for Senate Wednesday, believes "fixing Washington will take time." Bayh will run against Congressman Todd Young (R-9).

Bayh announced his run a day after Baron Hill, who ran unopposed in the May primary, stepped aside. Harmless believes Bayh remains "highly-regarded and highly-respected" in Indiana. Bayh left public office in 2010, and is currently a partner with Washington D.C. public affairs attorneys McGuireWoods LLP. Harmless says he is "not surprised at all" that the former governor is returning to politics.

In a statement released Wednesday, Bayh said he could "no longer sit on the sidelines and watch as partisan bickering grinds Washington to a halt." In a response, Young said, "This Senate seat does not belong to the Bayh family for whenever it’s convenient," saying it "belongs to the people of Indiana and Hoosiers expect a Senator to share their values."