INDIANAPOLIS — John Jacob, who lost his Indiana House seat last year, confirmed to the Capital Chronicle this week that he will seek the Senate District 36 seat vacated due to the sudden death of Sen. Jack Sandlin, R-Indianapolis.
Sandlin was elected to the Indiana Senate in 2016 to represent parts of southern Marion and Johnson Counties.
He unexpectedly died on September 20. Several memorials are planned for this week.
But Jacob has already announced his plan to run for Sandlin’s seat in a GOP caucus of precinct committeemen. He lost his re-election bid in the May 2022 primary to Rep. Julie McGuire, who was backed by the House GOP caucus.
Though Jacob is a Republican, he was one of the most extreme members of the caucus, and his GOP colleagues often shut him out.
Although he had authored other bills, he had focused on anti-abortion legislation; and during the 2022 special session chastised fellow members who supported a rape exception to Indiana’s abortion ban, saying all abortion is murder.
“The body inside of the mom’s body is not her body. Let me repeat that: the body inside of the mom’s body is not her body. Not her body, not her choice,” he said on the House floor.
There will be a public visitation for Sandlin at the Statehouse on Friday starting at 9 a.m., followed by a noon memorial service. The graveside service will be on Saturday, September 30, beginning at 10 a.m., at Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery: 1415 North Gate Road in Madison.
There will also be a public memorial service for him on Thursday, September 28, from 3–7 p.m., at G.H. Herrmann Funeral Homes, 5141 Madison Ave., in Indianapolis.
Anyone who would like to send their support to Sandlin’s family can mail cards to P.O. Box 47802, Indianapolis, IN, 46247. His obituary can be found here.
Sandlin – Courtesy of Indiana Senate Republicans
