Former Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) is reaching into his deep pockets to help finance his comeback Senate bid.

Coats, the leading Republican in a five-candidate primary May 4, loaned his campaign $200,000 on Thursday. His campaign disclosed the personal loan in a filing to the Senate public records office.

In an e-mail, campaign spokesman Pete Seat described the loan as “a bridge between pledges and deposits.”

After retiring from the Senate in 1999, Coats became wealthy as a lawyer and lobbyist in Washington, D.C. Democrats and some conservative detractors have noted repeatedly that Coats missed a deadline to file a personal financial disclosure report detailing the sources of his income. Coats’ campaign said Monday that the papers will be filed soon.

Coats raised $446,000 through April 14 — well ahead of the $263,000 raised by state Sen. Marlin Stutzman (R) and the $52,000 taken in by former Rep. John Hostettler (R). But Coats’ take wasn’t overwhelming for a former Senator, and Rep. Brad Ellsworth, the likely Democratic nominee, will begin the general election campaign with a fundraising edge.

Coats contributed $25,000 to his campaign in mid-February, shortly after he entered the race for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh.