Indiana congressman Brad Ellsworth has officially withdrawn from the congressional race, setting up his candidacy for the US Senate.

Paperwork was filed today at the Indiana Statehouse.

As we first reported on Friday, Congressman Ellsworth says he wants to fill the seat being vacated by Evan Bayh. Several Republicans are also running for the seat.

In response to Senator Evan Bayh’s announcement this afternoon that he will not seek reelection to the United State Senate, Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel offered the following statement:

“Evan Bayh has spent most of his professional career serving the people of Indiana.  He has done so with dignity and integrity, and his decisions were always guided by his commitment to fiscal responsibility and common sense Hoosier values.   His strong presence will be missed in the U.S. Senate and his leadership will be missed by people in every community throughout our state. 

I am honored that my name has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the U.S. Senate.  However, I am not interested in pursuing this opportunity.  With two years left in my second term as Mayor of the City of Evansville, I am committed to leading my community through these challenging times.  Just in the past year, we have successfully lured millions of dollars in new investment and hundreds of new jobs to our city, we have started construction on a new arena that will transform our downtown and create a better future for all, and, through all this, we are managing better and smarter by doing more with less as we continue to provide the city services people come to expect.  I am very optimistic about our community and want to continue to lead it into the future.”

Eyewitness News has confirmed that Sen. Evan Bayh will announce his retirement Monday.

Sen. Bayh will hold a news conference at 2:00 pm Monday at the IUPUI University Place Conference Center and Hotel in Indianapolis.

MSNBC, The Washington Post and The Indianapolis Star report that Bayh will not seek re-election. Eyewitness News also confirmed the report independently.

Bayh has held his seat since 1998.

Former Sen. Dan Coats, a Republican, has announced his intention to seek the GOP nomination for the seat in 2010. A recent poll put Bayh 20 points ahead of Coats.