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Banks announces run for Congress

Photo provided.
Jim Banks.

State Sen. Jim Banks has announced his candidacy for Indiana’s third congressional district.

Banks, a Republican from Columbia City, launched his campaign on May 12 at the Allen County GOP headquarters in downtown Fort Wayne. He vowed to run a substantive campaign built on issues and ideas.

“We will talk about cleaning up the bureaucratic mess that is our VA.  We will talk about supporting our troops and strengthening our military that has been weakened by the current administration.  We will talk about creating jobs right here in the Third Congressional District by once and for all ending the medical device tax and by protecting and growing the 122nd Fighter Wing,” says Banks.

Banks returned three weeks ago from a tour of duty in Afghanistan where he served for eight months as a U.S. Naval Reserve Officer.

He referenced his combat boots as a reminder of the sacrifices made by veterans and service members today who are protecting our freedoms abroad, and vowed to take them with him when elected to Congress. Banks went on to describe what led to his decision to run for Congress.
 
“As I think about what makes America great and those in our nation’s capital who have worked to diminish America’s greatness at home and abroad, I realize there is more I must do to serve our country – the greatest country in the world,” he said.

Amanda Banks served in the Indiana State Senate during her husband’s deployment.

“I had very big shoes to fill when I became the senator from the 17th Senate District,” she said. “Jim’s record standing for conservative and traditional values is nearly unrivaled at the Statehouse. He consistently has stood on principle and taken the less traveled road to both author legislation and vote for legislation consistent with pro-life, pro-family, free market and smaller government values.”

Senate Pro Tempore David Long offered his endorsement.

“Jim Banks embodies precisely the type of person we want representing us in Congress,” Long said. “He is a strong conservative with the voting record to prove it; he is unabashedly pro-life; he understands the Constitution and the appropriate limits that must be placed upon the federal government; he knows how to balance a budget; and he is a genuine family man. We need a lot more people like Jim in Congress if we are ever going to turn that place around, which is why I strongly support Jim Banks to be our next Congressman from northeast Indiana.”

Banks has represented northeast Indiana since his election to the General Assembly in 2010. Currently, he serves Wabash County and portions of Whitley, Huntington and Grant counties. He is Chairman of the Senate Veteran Affairs and the Military Committee and also serves on the Education and Workforce Development, Labor, and Homeland Security and Transportation committees.

Banks is a commercial real estate broker for The Bradley Company in Fort Wayne. He is a graduate of Indiana University and recently earned his Master of Business Administration from Grace College and Seminary.