Indianapolis City-County Councilor La Keisha Jackson is Indiana’s newest state senator.
A Democratic precinct caucus chose Jackson Thursday to serve out the last few months of Sen. Jean Breaux’s term after Breaux died last month.
Jackson is the CEO of a nonprofit community center. She said she looks forward to tackling issues at the Statehouse that she’s worked on at the city level.
“Working on … transportation, housing, food access and disparities,” Jackson said.
READ MORE: State Sen. Jean Breaux dies after health issues forced her to miss 2024 session
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Breaux’s mother supported Jackson in the precinct caucus election. The new state senator said she’ll work to continue Breaux’s legacy.
“She laid the foundation, I think — helping marginalized people; believing in, championing DEI; carrying the torch, fighting the good fight for the people as a whole,” Jackson said.
Jackson is expected to be sworn in next week and will serve out the term that expires in November.
Breaux’s name remains on this year’s primary ballot. There will be another precinct caucus after the primary to choose a replacement for Breaux on the general election ballot. Jackson plans to seek that role too.
Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.