By ASHLEY FOWLER
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
U.S. Rep. Jim Banks on Tuesday announced his campaign for U.S. Senate.
Banks, a Republican, has represented Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District since 2017. He was reelected in November after defeating Democrat Gary Snyder and independent Nathan Gotsch but lost the race for House Majority Whip to Minnesota’s Tom Emmer.
The Columbia City native said in December that he was “strongly considering” running in 2024 to replace Republican Sen. Mike Braun, who is running for governor.
Banks’ campaign website calls him “a leader in strengthening our military, securing better care for our veterans, cutting taxes to grow our economy, protecting the right to life, and defending religious freedom.”
“Our nation is at a turning point,” Banks said. “We need conservatives in Washington who are not afraid to fight back against the radical socialist Democrats who are trying to change America. I was proud to serve my country in the military, and I have been on the front lines fighting for our conservative Hoosier values in Congress. With your help, I’ll do that in an even bigger way in the United States Senate. America has given me the opportunity of a lifetime, and our daughters and our sons, they deserve nothing less. That’s why I’m running for the United States Senate.
The Indiana Democratic Party released a statement in response to Banks’ campaign announcement, saying in part:
“Jim Banks failed in his bid to become the Majority Whip for the U.S. House so now he sees the U.S. Senate as a new prize for more political power. Hoosiers shouldn’t be surprised by Banks’s brazen calculation, because he cares more about the Tucker Carlson national cable news circuit than creating a better future for the Hoosier State.
“Jim Banks represents exactly what voters despise about politics: someone who will say or do anything to make a buck for themselves and hold onto political power. Hoosiers deserve an elected official who will set aside Washington special interests and focus on creating a better future for everyone in Indiana. Jim Banks would be better suited as a Fox News host – not a U.S. Senator.”