INDIANAPOLIS — A Democratic City-County councilor says he has been kicked out of his caucus by fellow Democrats and can no longer meet with them to discuss issues.
Councilor Jesse Brown sent out a letter Monday to his constituents in Indianapolis District 13 announcing the news. In it, Brown says thirteen of his fellow Democrats have voted to expel him from the City-County Council’s Democratic Caucus.
Brown will remain the councilor for District 13, but will no longer be able to join closed-door meetings held by Democratic colleagues.
“Public business should be conducted in public, rather than behind closed doors,” Brown wrote. “My commitment to this principle has often put me at odds with my colleagues, including this last week.”
Brown recently called fellow councilors Maggie Lewis, Carlos Perkins and Leroy Robinson “so-called Democrats” after they signed a letter supporting Indianapolis Public Schools sharing public funding with charter schools.
“My constituents deserve a city that works for them, not just the capitalists and developers,” Brown wrote. “My constituents deserve fully funded, fully public education, not a scammy grab bag of charter school ‘choices’.”
This, Brown claims, was “the straw that finally broke the camel’s back” and caused him to be ousted. He then ends his letter by saying he plans on pushing back against the move.
“I will be fighting this decision, as it disenfranchised the voters of District 13 who saw fit to elect me,” he said, “and I would welcome any and all support in that fight.”
A copy of Brown’s full letter can be found at the bottom of this article.
The Democratic Caucus released the following statement on Monday night:
“The Democratic Caucus of the Indianapolis City-County Council is committed to working together as a team and serving the people of our city with integrity, collaboration, and a shared vision for progress. For a caucus to be successful, it must rely on trust, factual discourse, and a commitment to constructive teamwork.
When any member focuses on falsehoods, makes inappropriate accusations, and undermines the collective benefit of our shared work, their approach does not align with the principles of the caucus. After careful consideration, we have determined that it is in the best interest of the caucus—and the constituents we serve—for this individual to continue acting as an independent council member rather than part of our caucus.
We will remain focused on delivering results for Indianapolis and uphold the values of transparency, accountability, and collaboration in our leadership.“
– Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council’s Democratic Caucus
Brown – a “proud member of Democratic Socialists of America” and outspoken supporter of Palestine – was elected to the City-County Council in 2023 after defeating long-time councilor Zach Adamson. At the time, he credited his win to grassroots organizing and a pledge to break the “insider’s club” grip on Marion County politics.
Brown’s full letter reads:
Friends and constituents,
Tonight, thirteen of my Democratic colleagues voted to expel me from the Democratic Caucus of the Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council.
Public business should be conducted in public, rather than behind closed doors. My commitment to this principle has often put me at odds with my colleagues, including this last week, when I called for fully-funded, fully-public education, against the wishes of my Council colleagues and their Republican conspirators. My call-out of so-called Democrats Maggie Lewis, Carlos Perkins, and Leroy Robinson’s subterfuge was the straw that finally broke the camel’s back.
Unlike some of my colleagues, I don’t hide my politics—not because of who I am, but because of who you are. Politics behind closed doors only works for those who can afford entry. My constituents deserve a city that works for them, not just the capitalists and developers. My constituents deserve fully funded, fully public education, not a scammy grab bag of charter school “choices.” My constituents deserve an elected official who will fight for their interests—not someone who serves big-money donors and washed-up party bosses.
I will be fighting this decision, as it disenfranchises the voters of District 13, who saw fit to elect me, and I would welcome any and all support in that fight.
In love and solidarity,
Jesse
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