Todd Young Enters Senate Race

Ninth District Congressman Todd Young becomes the third major candidate to join the 2016 Republican primary race to succeed retiring Sen. Dan Coats. His campaign uploaded a video to YouTube today touting his candidacy, which includes his parents and wife. Between his family connection to former Vice President Dan Quayle and his ties to the military/industrial complex, he will likely have more money to spend on the race than other candidates. He has already raised over $1 million in campaign contributions this past quarter for the race and begins the race with more money than any other candidate.

Young is a Naval Academy graduate, completed naval intelligence officer training and was commissioned to the U.S. Marine Corps where he served until he was honorably discharged in 2000 with the rank of captain. He practiced with the law firm of Tucker & Tucker in Paoli for a short while following his graduation from IU's law school in Bloomington in 2006.

Young joins former Indiana State GOP Chairman Eric Holcomb and U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, who previously announced their candidacies. The Republican Senate race will produce two new members of Indiana's congressional delegation, if nothing else. A crowded field of Republican candidates are running to replace Stutzman in Indiana's Third District, including State Sen. Liz Brown and State Sen. Jim Banks. Attorney General Greg Zoeller is reportedly interested in running for Young's House seat. State Sen. Mike Delph has expressed an interest in the Republican Senate race as well, although some would prefer if he ran for Attorney General if Zoeller runs for the 9th District seat.

Former Ninth District U.S. Rep. Baron Hill is seeking the Democratic nomination for Senate. State Rep. Christina Hale, an Indianapolis lawmaker, opted against challenging Hill in the primary. Rep. Young easily vanquished Hill when he first won election to Congress in 2010.