Mourdock Files For US Senate Race vs Lugar

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock is now waiting for petition signatures to be approved to be on the ballot in the U.S. Senate race.

Mourdock dropped off his 13,000 petitions at the Indiana Government Center on Tuesday.

The Tea Party Republican is challenging longtime incumbent GOP Senator Richard Lugar, who holds a large fundraising lead over his opponent. According to the latest financial reports filed by the candidates with the Federal Election Commission, Lugar has raised $5 million to Mourdock’s $1.3 million.

After spending $1 million, Lugar still has $4 million on hand – 14 times more than Mourdock.

The state treasurer said it doesn't bother him to have less money than his opponent.

“I knew we would be a starving campaign, until about this time,” Mourdock said. “When you get to that last four or five months, that’s when people around the country start to pay attention. Our contributions have gone up dramatically and are going to continue to go up. We’re going to have the money we need.”

Mourdock was recruited to run against the Lugar by Tea Party activists who say the longtime senator has lost touch with conservative values.

“As ‘Obama’s favorite Republican,’ Dick Lugar is out of touch with Hoosiers on these critical issues after 36 years in Washington. It’s what causes him to cast one liberal vote after another, the most recent being his vote against a permanent ban on earmark spending,” Mourdock told supporters in an e-mail Tuesday.

Lugar has not yet turned in his petitions required to be on the May primary ballot. The deadline to do so is Friday.