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Former U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly nominated to be Vatican ambassador

Joe Donnelly served as Indiana's U.S. senator from 2013 to 2019.
Joe Donnelly served as Indiana's U.S. senator from 2013 to 2019.

Another Hoosier is joining the Biden administration. The president Friday nominated former U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly to be ambassador to the Vatican.

Donnelly – like Biden, a Catholic – had campaigned for Biden, writing an op-ed last year talking about their shared faith tradition.

The Hoosier Democrat served three terms in the U.S. House before winning the race to replace former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar in 2012. He lost his re-election bid in 2018 to now Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.).

His appointment as ambassador to the Holy See must be confirmed by the Senate.

Contact reporter Brandon at  bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Brandon J. Smith has previously worked as a reporter and anchor for KBIA Radio in Columbia, MO. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, IL as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.