Indiana Rep. Jim Banks picks up Senate endorsement from Tom Cotton

Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton endorsed his fellow Republican Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana for Senate on Tuesday. 

“I am very pleased that Jim is running for Senate. I’ve endorsed him already, I’ve been urging him to run for this race,” Cotton told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt Tuesday morning. 

“I think Jim needs to take statewide in Indiana what he’s done for Northeast Indiana, which is standing up for strong national defense, for men and women in law enforcement, for cultural sanity and fiscal soundness,” he added. “That’s what Hoosiers elected him to do eight years ago, when I first met him, in Indiana and that’s what I think they’re going to do this election as well. And I’m confident that he’s going to run a great campaign, have a big victory and be a great addition to the United States Senate.” 

Banks, a former state senator and Afghanistan war veteran who is in his fourth term representing Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District, announced his candidacy for Senate earlier that morning. 

INDIANA REP. JIM BANKS LAUNCHES 2024 SENATE RUN, HIGHLIGHTS RECORD AS ‘CONSERVATIVE FIGHTER’

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., speaks at a press conference following a Republican caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on June 8, 2022.
(Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind. speak to press
(L: Tom Brenner / Stringer R:  Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

BANKS TELLS FOX NEWS HE’S ‘STRONGLY CONSIDERING’ SENATE RUN

“Our nation is at a turning point. We need conservatives in Washington who are not afraid to fight back against the radical socialist Democrats who are trying to change America. I was proud to serve my country in the military, and I have been on the front lines fighting for our conservative Hoosier values in Congress. With your help, I’ll do that in an even bigger way in the United States Senate,” Banks said in a statement addressing Indiana voters. 

“Radical Democrats and the spineless Republicans are going to do everything they can to stop me, but I need your help in the fight to restore America. I look forward to meeting with as many of you as possible in the coming months on the campaign trail, hearing about what matters most to you, and how we can effectively protect our American way of life for our daughters, sons, and future generations,” he said. 

DEMOCRATS LIKELY FACING TOUGH SENATE MAP IN 2024 ELECTIONS

Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana speaks at an Allen County GOP dinner, in Fort Wayne Indiana on Oct. 12, 2022
(Rep. Jim Banks campaign)

Banks has also been endorsed by Rep. Larry Bucshon, R-Ind., who represents Indiana’s 8th Congressional District in the southwest corner of the state. These high-profile endorsements may help Banks stand out in a Republican primary filed that could include former two-term governor Mitch Daniels, who is reported to be mulling a Senate bid, as well as Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., who represents a district in the central part of the state that includes parts of Indianapolis and its suburbs.

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Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.