Evan Bayh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Evan Bayh
Official portrait, 2004
United States Senator from Indiana
In office January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Dan Coats
Succeeded by	Dan Coats
46th Governor of Indiana
In office January 9, 1989 – January 13, 1997
Lieutenant	Frank O'Bannon
Preceded by	Robert Orr
Succeeded by	Frank O'Bannon
56th Secretary of State of Indiana
In office December 1, 1986 – January 9, 1989
Governor	Robert Orr
Preceded by	Edwin Simcox
Succeeded by	Joe Hogsett
Personal details
Born	Birch Evans Bayh III (1955-12-26) December 26, 1955 (age 69) Shirkieville, Indiana, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Susan Bayh ​ ​ (m. 1985; died 2021)​
Children	2
Parents	Birch Bayh (father) Marvella Bayh (mother)
Education	Indiana University, Bloomington (BS) University of Virginia (JD)
Signature

Birch Evans "Evan" Bayh III (born December 26, 1955) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He has served Indiana as its governor and as a United States senator. A governor is the leader of a state, and a senator helps make laws for the whole country in Washington, D.C.

Bayh comes from a political family. His father, Birch Bayh, was also a U.S. senator. Evan Bayh started his own political career in 1986 as the Secretary of State of Indiana. Two years later, he was elected governor. After two terms as governor, he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1998, where he served until 2011.

After leaving the Senate, Bayh worked for a law firm and other companies. He also appeared as a contributor on Fox News. In 2016, he ran for his old Senate seat again but was not elected. In 2022, President Joe Biden appointed him to the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, a group that gives advice on national security.

Early Life and Family

Evan Bayh with his father, Birch, and mother, Marvella, during his father's 1962 Senate campaign.

Birch Evans Bayh III was born in Shirkieville, Indiana. Because his father was a U.S. Senator, Evan grew up in both Indiana and Washington, D.C.

He went to college at Indiana University Bloomington, where he earned a degree in business. He later got a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

In 1985, Bayh married Susan Breshears. She was a lawyer and served on the boards of several companies. They had twin sons, Beau and Nicholas, born in 1995. Susan Bayh passed away in 2021 after a long illness.

Political Career in Indiana

As governor, Bayh signed a $1.6 billion tax cut, which was the largest in Indiana's history at the time.

Bayh's first major political job was as Indiana's Secretary of State. In 1988, he ran for governor and won. At 33 years old, he was the youngest governor in the United States at the time. He was very popular and was re-elected in 1992 with 63% of the vote.

As governor, Bayh was known for a few key achievements:

• He signed a $1.6 billion tax cut for the people of Indiana.
• He created the 21st Century Scholars program. This program helps students from families with lower incomes pay for college if they promise to stay out of trouble and get good grades.

State law said he could not run for a third term in a row, so he left the governor's office in 1997. For a short time, he taught at Indiana University Bloomington and worked at a law firm.

Serving in the U.S. Senate

Bayh takes the oath of office for his first Senate term, with his wife Susan and their sons.

In 1998, Bayh was elected to the U.S. Senate, taking the same seat his father once held. He won the election with 64% of the vote, a very large margin for a Democrat in Indiana. He was re-elected in 2004.

In the Senate, Bayh worked on many issues. He was known as a moderate, or centrist, Democrat, meaning he often tried to find a middle ground between different political views. He supported the Iraq War in 2002 but later criticized how it was handled. He also voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010, a major law aimed at changing the U.S. healthcare system.

Bayh talking with President Barack Obama on Air Force One in 2009.

Deciding Not to Run Again

In February 2010, Bayh made a surprise announcement that he would not run for a third term in the Senate. He said he was tired of the constant arguments in Congress and felt that not enough was getting done. His predecessor, Dan Coats, ran for the seat and won.

Presidential Politics

Bayh in New Hampshire during his short 2008 presidential campaign.

For a short time in 2006, Evan Bayh considered running for President of the United States. He formed a committee to explore the idea but soon decided against it. He chose to support Hillary Clinton's campaign instead.

During the 2008 election, Bayh was considered as a possible vice-presidential running mate for Barack Obama. Obama eventually chose Joe Biden for the position.

Life After the Senate

After leaving the Senate in 2011, Bayh took on several jobs in the private sector. He worked for a law firm, an investment company, and served on the boards of different corporations. His net worth grew significantly during this time.

In 2016, he decided to run for his old Senate seat again. The Democratic candidate, Baron Hill, stepped aside so Bayh could run. However, Bayh lost the election to Republican Todd Young. This was the first time Bayh had ever lost an election in Indiana.

See also

• Birch Evans Bayh Sr.
• Senator Birch Bayh
• List of governors of Indiana

Images for kids

• 

  Bayh with his father and his young sons.

• 

  Bayh with his late wife and sons in the early 2000s.

• 

  Bayh with President Bill Clinton in 1993.

• 

  2004 re-election campaign logo.

• 

  Bayh with Hillary Clinton during her campaign.

• 

  Bayh speaks at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.

• 

  Bayh speaking at an event during the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

• 

  Bayh with Haley Barbour in 2013.

• 

  Bayh's 2016 campaign logo.

• 

  Bayh shakes the hand of a Marine while visiting Iraq in January 2006.