Council Democrats expel outspoken member from caucus

Indianapolis City-County Councilor Jesse Brown, a socialist who has butted heads with Democratic leaders since his election in 2023, will no longer be permitted in private meetings of the council’s Democratic Caucus.

Brown, a first-term councilor, has publicly critiqued members of the Democratic Caucus and shared private caucus information in an emailed newsletter he maintains for his constituents. He wrote in that newsletter Monday evening that his colleagues had voted to expel him from the caucus.

In an email with the subject line “Sad Day for Indianapolis,” Brown said that 13 of 19 members voted to expel him. Indianapolis Democrats have a supermajority in the council with 19 seats. Republicans hold six. 

He attributed the decision to his public critique of three Democratic colleagues—Councilors Maggie Lewis, Carlos Perkins and Leroy Robinson—who in early January signed a bipartisan letter urging Indianapolis Public Schools to share resources with charter schools. Lewis is the majority leader of the Democratic Caucus.

Brown said his call-out is “the straw that finally broke the camel’s back.”

“I will be fighting this decision, as it disenfranchises the voters of District 13, who saw fit to elect me, and I would welcome any and all support in that fight,” Brown wrote in the email.

In a statement distributed by local public relations professional Denise Herd, the caucus, without naming Brown, wrote, “For a caucus to be successful, it must rely on trust, factual discourse, and a commitment to constructive teamwork.”

“When any member focuses on falsehoods, makes inappropriate accusations, and undermines the collective benefit of our shared work, their approach does not align with the principles of the caucus,” the statement continued, “After careful consideration, we have determined that it is in the best interest of the caucus—and the constituents we serve—for this individual to continue acting as an independent council member rather than part of our caucus.”

Brown, who ran for office as a Democrat but identifies as a Democratic Socialist, ousted then-Council Vice President Zach Adamson in May 2023. He beat Adamson with nearly 56% of the vote.

Brown currently holds a seat on three council committees: Environmental Sustainability, Municipal Corporations and Parks and Recreation. He told IBJ in a text that it’s unclear what impact his expulsion may have on his committee appointments.

Brown has frequently garnered attention for taking hard stances and calling for more accountability from Mayor Joe Hogsett and his administration.

Early last year, Brown led a push to unseat Republican State Sen. Aaron Freeman over the senator’s attempt to derail IndyGo’s Blue Line. He told his newsletter subscribers at the time that the move got him lectured and nearly expelled from the caucus. Later, Brown called on Mayor Joe Hogsett to resign after multiple media outlets reported sexual harassment allegations against his former chief of staff.

Brown has also been an outspoken advocate for a ceasefire in the Israel-Palestine war. At one point, he introduced a proposal that was ultimately jettisoned in favor of a generic special resolution supporting peace.

He’s one of three first-term councilors to choose to focus full-time on their council roles. It is considered a part-time position.