Coats Won't Run for Senate Again

U.S. Sen. Dan Coats Tuesday announced he will not run for reelection in 2016.

Coats had spoken in recent months about whether to run again, noting that how Congress functioned with Republican majorities would play a major role. In a video statement Tuesday, the Hoosier Senator said choosing not to run was not an easy decision.

“While I believe I am well-positioned to run a successful campaign for another six-year term, I have concluded that the time has come to pass this demanding job to the next generation of leaders,” he said.

Coats spent 18 years in Congress, in both the House and Senate, from 1981 to 1999 before retiring to fulfill a self-imposed term limits promise. After serving as U.S. ambassador to Germany, he successfully ran for Evan Bayh’s vacated Senate seat in 2010.

In a statement, Gov. Mike Pence says he greets Coats’ news with mixed emotions and expressed his gratitude to the senator. The potential GOP field for the seat is wide open, with many names mentioned as possibilities in a primary race, including Congressmen Todd Rokita and Marlin Stutzman and Coats chief of staff Eric Holcomb.