Former State Senator Karen Tallian of Ogden Dunes was elected by the State Central Committee this morning as the next Chair of the Indiana Democratic Party.

Tallian beat former statewide candidate Destiny Wells by a vote of 18-14.

Throughout her time in the Senate Tallian  fought for organized labor and traditional public schools.   She also supported marijuana legalization.

She says going forward, her job will be to unite the Democratic Party, raise money, hold Republicans accountable and prepare for the 2026 and 2028 elections.

Tallian served in the State Senate for District 4, and represented portions of Porter, La Porte, and Lake counties from December 2005 through November 2021. During her time in the Senate, she served as the Democratic Caucus Chair between 2016 and 2020.

You can hear Tallian in the audio above.  It runs for about 10 minutes.

Also elected today were Alex Nyirendah, Vice Chair; Erin Retif, Secretary; and Michael Griffin, Treasurer.