The first Indiana Republican to become a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010 is from LaGrange County.

Current Indiana State Senator Marlin Stutzman of Howe is eyeing a 2010 run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Evan Bayh, and he's already talking about her campaign platforms.

“In northeast Indiana we are pushing that twenty percent unemployment number, so we're going to be talking a lot about the economy,” said Stutzman. “In the automotive industry we've been hit tremendously hard by the lack of policy by the failed leadership out of Washington.”

Stutzman says he soon plans to begin traveling the state by bus to campaign ahead of the 2010 election.