Sen. Evan Bayh might say hello again as governor in 2012

While Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh’s retirement from the U.S. Senate is approaching, supporters expect he might run for governor of Ind. in 2012.

Ed Treacy, chairman of the Marion County Democratic Party, said he thinks the chances are high that Bayh will run for the position again.

“I have met with him and talked with him and requested that he consider running, and he has said that he hasn’t ruled that out,” Treacy said.

Treacy also pointed out the significance of Bayh’s appearance at the annual Indiana Democratic Editorial Association event in French Lick last month.

“He hasn’t been there for the last couple years, and I think that the importance factor is that he was there, and the chairman of the Democratic National Committee was down there,” Treacy said.

If Bayh chooses to run, the 2012 gubernatorial campaign might bear a striking resemblance to the 1988 campaign, in which Bayh won his first of two terms as Indiana’s governor.  

Bayh, a centrist Democrat from a republican leaning state, announced in Feb. that he would not seek a third term in the Senate.

At his press conference he cited partisan bickering as a cause and told reporters the decision was difficult, but he thought he could contribute to society in other ways, such as creating jobs with a business, leading a college or university or running a charity.

Though he didn’t mention running for governor, he took the opportunity to highlight his accomplishments when he served as one.

“As Governor, I worked with an outstanding team to balance the budget, cut taxes, leave the largest surplus in state history, create the most new jobs in any eight-year period, increase funding for schools every year, make college more affordable and reform welfare to emphasize work,” Bayh said.

While serving as governor in 1990, Bayh created the 21st Century Scholar’s Program, which offers full-ride university scholarships to Indiana students with financial need.

While the program is currently facing financial troubles, it has enrolled more than 100,000 students, since 1995, according to a report released by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.

On the other hand, critics point out that Bayh has been away from Indiana for 12 years while serving as a senator.

“I think a lot of people don’t like the fact that he spent so much time in Washington and became a beltway elite,” said junior Jeff Cummins, internal vice-chairman of the IU College Republicans. “He may have lost touch with his Hoosier roots and people may want someone who is more familiar with what’s going on in Indiana, not an establishment candidate.”

Another issue, Cummins pointed out, was Bayh’s support for health care reform.

About 58 percent of Americans (96 percent of republicans, 10 percent of democrats and 54 percent of independents) support repealing the health care reform legislation that was signed into law by President Barack Obama in March, according to a study conducted last April by the IU Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research.

In his political career, Bayh has yet to lose any statewide campaign.

Treacy said Bayh will make a decision next year as to whether or not he will run for governor.

If Bayh does choose to run, he may be up against businessman Jim Schellinger, former U.S. Representative Jill Long Thompson, Mayor of Evansville Jonathan Weinzapfel, Mayor of Hammond Thomas McDermott, Jr. and Lake County Sheriff Roy Dominguez.

“I think for someone sitting there with $11 million in his bank account and for someone who already has universal identity in Indiana makes him the proverbial 1800-pound gorilla in the room,” Treacy said. “No one is probably going to take him on when he’s got that kind of money and an undefeated political history.”