Democratic council member joins race for Indiana's open US Senate seat

An Indianapolis City-County Council member is looking to become the Democratic candidate for Indiana’s open U.S. Senate seat in the 2024 election

Election 2024 Senate Indiana (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

An Indianapolis City-County Council member on Thursday became the second announced Democrat to seek Indiana’s open U.S. Senate seat in the 2024 election.

Keith Potts is joining former state lawmaker Marc Carmichael in vying for the party's nomination to fill the seat that Republican Sen. Mike Braun is giving up to run for Indiana governor. Carmichael announced his bid last month.

No well-known Democrats have made moves to start campaigns in the Republican-dominated state. Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Banks has secured high-profile support as the only prominent GOP candidate in the Senate race.

Potts was elected to the Indianapolis council in 2019 and didn’t seek reelection this year. He cited affordable health care, and protecting abortion rights and Social Security as top campaign issues against Banks, who has gained attention in Washington as a combative defender of former President Donald Trump.

Carmichael was a state representative from Muncie in 1986-91 and was the longtime president and lobbyist for the Indiana Beverage Alliance, a beer distributor association.