Former Sen. Evan Bayh's home in Indianapolis is a one-bedroom condo that is assessed at $59,000. | AP Photos Bayh defends Indiana residency

INDIANAPOLIS — Evan Bayh on Thursday brushed off the increasing scrutiny over his Indiana residency, arguing that his multiple homes here and in Washington won’t ultimately be a “compelling issue” for voters this November.

“We have a home in D.C. and we have a home in Indianapolis. We list them both for different things,” Bayh said during a wide-ranging interview with POLITICO at a local farmers market and food hall here. “Dick Lugar, when he was in the Senate, Dan Coats right now in the Senate, have all had to juggle representing Indiana while also having a presence in Washington, D.C. There’s no difference.”


Bayh owns two homes in Washington: one in the Spring Valley neighborhood, assessed at $2.4 million, and another in Georgetown that he purchased last year for $2.9 million, according to property records. The former senator and Indiana governor also owns a condo in Key Biscayne, Florida.

His home in Indianapolis is a one-bedroom condo that is assessed at $59,000.

“I think you can follow me around here, people know me, they know my service,” Bayh said. “I was representing my state when my opponent was in high school. I mean, I know our state. I love our state. Five generations. I don’t think that’s going to be a compelling issue.”

When asked how much of his time he spends in Indiana compared to Washington, Bayh responded “a lot” and declined to quantify, adding: “I can’t reduce it to a number.”

Bayh, who served two terms in the Senate before retiring in 2010, turned the once-sleepy Indiana race into one of the biggest Senate battlegrounds this cycle by bringing considerable name ID and financial advantages to the race when he announced last month that he would make a comeback bid. He is facing Rep. Todd Young, a three-term House member from a south central Indiana district who fought off a tea party-aligned challenger in the GOP primary, with help from outside groups aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

But Republicans are seizing on his post-Senate career — which includes numerous lucrative private-sector gigs — and how much time he spends out of state to paint the popular Bayh as someone who has lost touch with Indiana. CNN reported earlier this week that multiple public documents show Bayh establishing his primary residence in Washington, such as records with the state’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles and a 2013 deed when he purchased his Florida condo.

But Bayh is ultimately counting on his decades of elected office in Indiana and his familiarity with voters — he was frequently interrupted during lunchtime at City Market by supporters and well-wishers — to win the seat being vacated by the retiring Coats. He still retains a notable edge over Young; a Monmouth University poll released Wednesday shows Bayh defeating Young by 7 points, 48 percent to 41 percent. Other polls earlier in the campaign showed wider margins in favor of Bayh.

“The important thing is, I mean, you can follow me around and listen. People know I know them,” Bayh said in the interview here Thursday. “They know I know their concerns. They know I’ve represented our state for 22 years. I’ve never stopped being a Hoosier.”

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