WASHINGTON — Sen. Evan Bayh, a centrist Democrat from Indiana, is ready to announce he won't seek a third term in Congress, giving Republicans a chance to pick up a Senate seat.

"To put it in the words most Hoosiers can understand: I love working for the people of Indiana, I love helping our citizens make the most of their lives, but I do not love Congress," Bayh said in comments prepared for an announcement today in Indianapolis.

His statement was obtained by The Associated Press from a Democratic official who declined to be named publicly.

The departure of Bayh, who was on Barack Obama's short list of vice presidential candidate prospects in 2008, continues a recent exodus from Congress among both Democrats and Republicans, including veteran Democrats Christopher Dodd of Connecticut and Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island.

By The Associated Press