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State Sen. Jack Sandlin has died

A retired police officer with more than 30 years on the force, Sandlin served six years on the Indianapolis City-County Council before being elected to two terms in the state Senate.
A retired police officer with more than 30 years on the force, Sandlin served six years on the Indianapolis City-County Council before being elected to two terms in the state Senate.

Indianapolis Republican Jack Sandlin, a member of the state Senate since 2016, has died.

The local Republican Party confirmed his death Wednesday. In a statement, party chair Joe Elsener mourned the loss, and said Sandlin’s “voice and impact” will be missed.

A retired police officer with more than 30 years on the force, Sandlin served six years on the Indianapolis City-County Council before being elected to two terms in the state Senate.

Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) called Sandlin a “valued member” of the GOP caucus.

“We will feel his loss deeply,” Bray said.

A private Republican caucus will meet in the coming weeks to choose a replacement to serve out Sandlin’s term.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him 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.