The Indiana Lunch Pail Republicans PAC has endorsed the re-election of Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind.

Lunch Pail Chair David Fagan released the following statement after deadline on Wednesday.

“In the most contentious political season in recent memory, and one that holds compelling national ramifications, the Lunch Pail Republicans had not yet weighed in on the race for Indiana’s United States Senate seat. Until now, we have focused on job creation at the state level for all Hoosiers.

“However, having observed the dishonest, disparaging and, worst of all, disrespectful campaign being waged against Indiana Senator Dick Lugar by the extreme wing of our party, in which his opponent resides, we feel compelled to loudly register our strongly-held opinion and actively engage our like-minded Lunch Pail Republican members and allies on behalf of Senator Dick Lugar.

“The future for Indiana’s families cannot be left to chance, and when a poll we commissioned indicated the tightness of this race, we became further compelled to actively engage. Dick Lugar believes in policies that help the government do what it was established to do: serve the people without intruding into their lives.

“One of the central functions of our federal government is to maintain a national infrastructure. Senator Lugar has been an outspoken advocate for improved infrastructure, which is essential to business growth and job creation. Lugar has led the charge for a new, fiscally responsible, fully-funded national infrastructure investment bill, which will put skilled Hoosiers back to work and keep Indiana moving forward. In the last eight years, Lugar has fought for $12.8 billion in federal transportation funding, which created more than 200,000 jobs and improved local economies and tax revenues. . . .

“Senator Lugar is also among the most vocal supporters of the Keystone XL pipeline, which will create thousands of vital jobs for energy industry workers. In addition to employment, this project would increase domestic oil production and reduce our reliance on oil from volatile and adversarial nations.

“Gridlock in Washington hurts middle-class workers and small businesses, and Senator Lugar has repeatedly shown his commitment to actively promote initiatives that benefit the State of Indiana. His opponent, however, appears to follow the drumbeat of the obstructionist movement that has stalled meaningful progress in our federal government.

“We believe the hard-working men and women of the Lunch Pail Republicans fit securely into the traditional, powerful and broad Reagan Republican coalition that enjoyed enormous electoral success in the 1980s. It is also there where Dick Lugar has made his political home with great success and innumerable achievements for the State of Indiana and the United States of America for three and a half decades.

“Pro business AND pro labor, Lunch Pail Republicans are staunch Republicans who are focused on putting the country on a path toward recovery and prosperity,” the statement said. “Too many ‘Republicans’ are far more focused on pushing someone else’s agenda and playing politics to get re-elected than looking out for the working people whom they are sent there to protect. Lunch Pail Republicans believe in freedoms of speech, the right to bear arms, and most of all in limited government. The group launched after Indiana’s Republican leadership promoted and passed ‘Right to Work’ legislation.”