Democrat Stephen Clay resigned Monday from the Indianapolis City-County Council, ending a tumultuous tenure in which he led the ouster of former Democratic council president Maggie Lewis by working with Republicans.
Clay, who after the 2018 dust-up briefly served as council president, had been expelled from the Democratic caucus and had already decided not to run this fall for reelection.
“My passion to serve our fine city was not ignited when I was elected five years ago, and cannot be extinguished by this communication,” Clay wrote in a resignation letter to Marion County Democratic Party chairman Kate Sweeney Bell on May 27. His resignation was effective at noon Monday.
Clay did not respond to IBJ’s request for comment, but he told other media that Democrats’ refusal to let him join caucus meetings did not allow him to adequately serve his district.
Asked if Clay’s resignation was a surprise, Sweeney Bell told IBJ that she “had heard it was a possibility.”
Democrats will hold a caucus meeting in his district on July 13 to select a successor, following a process outlined in state law.
Keith Graves, the Democrats’ nominee for Clay’s district seat in this fall’s municipal election, is the sole candidate to come forward so far to run for the caucus, Sweeney Bell said.
Interested candidates have until 72 hours before the caucus to announce their participation.
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