Former Senator Evan Bayh announces run for Senate

Former Democratic Senator and Indiana Governor Evan Bayh announced on Wednesday that he will come out of retirement to run for the U.S. Senate, a move that could determine whether Democrats can take control of the upper chamber in November.

“With the challenges facing Indiana and our country, I can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch as partisan bickering grinds Washington to a halt," Bayh said in a statement announcing his candidacy.

Bayh served two terms in the Senate before announcing his retirement in 2010. He has maintained a campaign account with more than $9.2 million cash on hand. The Republican candidate, Todd Young, has a campaign account with more than $1 million.

Fellow Democrat Baron Hill cleared the way for Bayh to run on Monday when he announced that he was leaving the Senate race.

The Democratic Party needs a net gain of four Senate seats to take control of the 100-member chamber in the Nov. 8 election.

(Reporting by Kouichi Shirayanagi; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)