Race for Indiana Senate seat already heating up

[IndianaGreen]

The problem with Coats is quite simple and twofold: he is not an Indiana resident and thus he is ineligible to serve, and he cut his ties to the local GOP honchos a long time ago.

Race for Indiana Senate seat already heating up

Updated: Feb 08, 2010 5:01 PM EST

Former Senator Dan Coats

Indianapolis - Nine months before Election Day, candidates in the Indiana Senate race are already raising the volume. Democrats have fired the first volley at former Republican Senator Dan Coats and now he's firing back at Democratic incumbent Evan Bayh.

Ambassador Coats has his work cut out for him, trying to collect 500 signatures in each of Indiana's nine congressional districts to get on the ballot in May. He will need those signatures certified by February 16 and filed with the secretary of state three days later on the 19th.

Former Congressman John Hostettler has been canvassing the state since last December and is still working to fulfill those obligations in three districts.

"If you don't tell the good people of Indiana," Coats said.

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"One week you tell the people of North Carolina that you'd love to become a resident of their state. You live in Virginia, but you want to come back to Indiana. He's been seen in more places than Elvis Presley," said Eyewitness News political analyst Robin Winston.

"They are nervous about Senator Bayh's recent support for the president's extreme health care agenda and the fact that Evan hasn't had a competitive election in decades," Coats' camp said in a statement.

For their part, Republicans say the Democrats' motive in all of this is obvious. They feel as though Coats has a real chance to win.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee countered Monday, saying the Democrats' attack opens up questions about how the Senator's net worth has tripled since he became a U.S. Senator.

http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=11953010