Michael Eastwood

Michael Bennett Eastwood (born August 19, 1955) is an American politician who is currently serving as the junior U.S. Senator from the Midwest since 2003, having previously served from 1995 to 1999. A Democrat, Eastwood also served as the 46th Governor of Indiana from 1989 to 1995. He has served as the president pro tempore of the Senate since 2005.

Eastwood announced his candidacy for United States Senate in the 1995 special election, triggered by the resignation of William Hutchins. After winning the Democratic primary, he faced U.S. Representative Tim Brady in the general election. While polls initially showed the race to be a dead heat, Eastwood won the general election by twenty four points. He was re-elected in 1996 midterm elections unopposed, resigning from the Senate three years later. In 2003, Senate Majority Leader Jacky Cameron announced that Eastwood would fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Theresa Thaddeus. He is currently running for re-election in an upcoming special election with the date to be announced.

U.S. Senate (1995-1999)
 1995 Special Election 

Following the resignation of Senator William Hutchins in 1994, Senate Majority Leader Lucas Gardner appointed Illinois Governor Peter Baelish to the vacated seat. Following Baelish's decision not to run in the special election, then-Indiana Governor Michael Eastwood announced his candidacy for the vacant seat in July 1995. Following the suspension other Democrats seeking the parties nomination for the vacant seat, Eastwood was unopposed in the primary election.

U.S. Representative Tim Brady won the Republican primary for the seat and would go on to face Eastwood in the special election. Although a TIME Magazine poll showed the race to be a tossup, within a four percentage point margin, Eastwood won the special election by twenty four percentage points, handily defeating Brady. Following his win, Eastwood was sworn in by Vice President Arlene Antonio-Song the following day.

 Tenure 

During his tenure in the United States Senate, Eastwood kept a fairly low profile. He introduced a single piece of legislation in that time, the Fair College Tuition Act, which sought to prevent so-called 'surprise tuition increases'. It passed the Senate, but was failed by the House of Representatives. Eastwood announced his resignation from the Senate in January 1999, shortly into his first full term after being re-elected unopposed in the 1996 midterm elections, he was replaced by U.S. Representative Michael Taylor.

U.S. Senate (2003- )
 Appointment and Special Election 

In January 2003, Senate Majority Leader Jackie Cameron announced that Eastwood would be appointed to succeed Theresa Thaddeus as United States Senator from the Midwest. He later announced that he would seek re-election to the seat, whenever the special election was scheduled. In the special election, held in 2003, Eastwood was nominated unopposed and faced former U.S. Congressman Tim Brady, who lost to Eastwood in the 1995 special election. Eastwood cruised to victory, beating his previous margin by winning with a forty point margin, garnering 70% of the total vote.

 Tenure 

During his second tenure in the Senate, Eastwood appears to have struck a different tone, compared to his previous tenure. He is arguably one of, if not the most, conservative democrat within the Senate and has frequently broken with his party to side with the Republicans, particularly on issues of energy independence, foreign policy and spending. In 2004, following the beginning of the recession in the United States, Eastwood introduced a bill called the 'American Automobiles Act', which provided tax-credit style vouchers for people who purchase cars that contain at least 45% of parts from American or Canadian origin. The bill was easily passed by the House and the Senate and was signed into law by President Ricardo Garcia.

Following Senator Madison Baker's resignation as President pro tempore, Eastwood was selected as the Democratic candidate and subsequently elected, making him the first Democratic pro tempore since Jeanne Stein, who's term ended in 2003, despite the Democratic party remaining in control of the Senate ever since then.