Indiana Republican state senator Jack Sandlin, a former police officer, dies at age 72

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Republican state Sen. Jack Sandlin, a retired police officer who had represented parts of Indianapolis and its southern suburbs since 2016, died Wednesday, his press secretary said. He was 72.

Sandlin died unexpectedly on Wednesday but “out of respect for his family we have nothing further to share,” his press secretary, Abbey Webb, said Thursday.

Sandlin represented Senate District 36, which covers parts of southern Marion County and northern Johnson County. He was a retired Indianapolis police officer who served on the Indianapolis City-County Council from 2010 until his 2016 election to the Indiana Senate, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported.

Sandlin, who was reelected in 2020, is survived by his wife Lydia, a daughter and three grandchildren.

Gov. Eric Holcomb called Sandlin “a true public servant.”

“Senator Jack Sandlin was a gentleman who devoted his life to serving others, in public safety on the front lines and in our State Senate. His clear voice and integrity will be missed,” Holcomb said in a statement.

Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, said Sandlin was “a strong advocate for the people of Central Indiana and a champion of Indianapolis.”

“He was a valued member of our caucus, and we will feel his loss deeply,” Bray said in a statement.

A caucus of Republican precinct committee members from Senate District 36 will choose Sandlin’s replacement for a term that runs through 2024. The details of that caucus have not been determined, said Marion County Republican Party Chairman Joe Elsener.