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Indianapolis City-County Council member Keith Potts plans to challenge Marc Carmichael for the Democratic nomination to fill U.S. Sen. Mike Braun’s seat.
Potts, a first-term councilor, announced his Senate bid Thursday morning.
He will face Carmichael, a longtime Democratic politician who also held leadership roles for the Indiana Gas Co. and the Indiana Beverage Alliance. The winner of the primary will likely face U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, who currently has no Republican opposition and is likely to be a heavy favorite in the overall race.
Braun isn’t seeking reelection to the Senate so he can run for Indiana governor in 2024. Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Fort Wayne businessman Eric Doden, both Republicans, and former Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick, a Democrat, have also announced gubernatorial bids.
Potts was elected in 2019 to lead District 2, representing portions of Broad Ripple and Nora. His term ends next year. He decided against a reelection bid when redistricting placed him in the same district as Democratic Councilor Monroe Gray.
Potts, who grew up in Chicago, graduated from the Boston Conservatory of Music in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. He works with local not-for-profit arts organizations such as the Phoenix Theatre, Indy Shakes, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Actors Theatre of Indiana and Civic Theatre, teaching after-school music classes, directing and performing.
He serves as vice president of the Indiana Stonewall Democrats, a group that advocates for the election and support of LGBTQ candidates. Currently, there are two openly gay U.S. senators—Tammy Baldwin and Kyrsten Sinema.
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Potts was such a horrible disappointment as our city council rep, most of his constituents assumed that he had a moment of clarity, realized that politics wasn’t for him, decided to not run for re-election and instead do something more productive and suited to whatever skill set he might have. Guess we we wrong about the clarity part – he has decided to try to fail upwards.
Potts has been a horrible city council rep. He has never responded to calls or emails and has been absent as his Broad Ripple district has descended into violence on the weekends. It looks like the democrats just needed a warm body to throw at the Banks.
I agree 100%. Especially about not responding to emails. He is awful.
I live in Broad Ripple and have never heard a positive word about him. And Im a registeted democrat.
Completely agree. Yet another narcissist?