According to Politico, national Democrats are pouring more money into the Indiana Senate race. A few weeks ago, the DSCC diverted $2.5 million to help Evan Bayh, and Politico reports that they’re planning to spend an additional $2.5 million here. Senate Majority PAC recently launched a $700,000 buy, and they’re now reportedly putting another $1 million into this race. On the GOP side, Senate Leadership Fund is dropping another $1 million to aid Todd Young.
When Bayh entered the race for his old Senate seat two months ago, he started with a massive $9.3 million left over from his previous campaigns, while Young only had just about $1 million in the bank. A month ago, both SMP and the DSCC released polls giving Bayh a 16 and 18-point lead, respectively. Democrats may have hoped that Bayh’s war chest and huge leads would allow them to focus their money on other contests, but that dream is dead now.
Young and his allies have spent millions tying Bayh to the Obama administration, which is not popular in this conservative state, as well as attacking Bayh for joining a lobbying firm after he left the Senate in 2011, as well as for spending most of his time since then outside Indiana. We have very few polls here, but a recent survey by GOP pollster Public Opinion Strategies on behalf of the political newsletter Howey Politics gave Bayh just a 44-40 lead. The Democrats’ new investments in this contest are also a strong indication that the GOP’s attacks are drawing blood. Daily Kos Elections rates this contest as a Tossup.