It's easy to get complacent in election years without a presidential race.
We've gotten used to incumbent senators and representatives winning re-election easily.
But the news that Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh won't seek a third term in the U.S. Senate changes everything. It means you can make a difference.
In a press conference Monday, Bayh announced that increased political partisanship was a main factor in his decision. This news shocked both sides of the spectrum, as Bayh is widely considered the leader of the Democratic Party in Indiana.
It's now more important than ever for students to take an interest in the upcoming primary elections.
This is our year.
Indiana's Democratic Party will likely have to choose a candidate for the November election because the 500 signatures from each congressional district needed for any candidate to run for the Democratic seat must be certified by noon today. That's 4,500 signatures, and it's unlikely anyone will have time to accomplish the feat.
Now begins the mad scramble. The Republican primary may come down to a serious fight. Former Sen. Dan Coats, looking to retake the seat he gave up in 1999 — which Bayh ended up winning — has a bit of a better outlook with Bayh out of the picture.
If you think the Democrats are steering the county in the wrong direction, you have a chance to replace a top Democratic senator. Or if you want to help Democrats retain the Indiana seat they've held for almost 12 years, you have a chance to get involved in the campaign.
With midterm election losses threatening the Democrats this year, it's likely Indiana will once again be a battleground state, as it was in the 2008 presidential election.
Whatever your political views, it's time to decide how you want things to be run, because it really does affect all of us.
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