INDIANAPOLIS — Cyndi Carrasco was selected to take over the term of late State Senator Jack Sandlin during a caucus held by the Republican Precinct Committeemen Wednesday evening.

State Senator Sandlin passed away on Sept. 20. Sandlin had represented District 36 as the state senator since he was elected in 2016. The senate district features the southern portions of Marion County and the north of Johnson County. Sandlin was 72 years old at the time of his passing.

Carrasco currently serves as the Vice President and General Counsel at the University of Indianapolis. Her political history includes a stint from 2015 to 2017 as Indiana’s first female Inspector General and working as Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Deputy General Counsel and Ethics Officer. Carrasco also served as the executive director of the Indiana State Ethics Commission.

Carrasco released the following statement after being elected to fill the rest of Sandlin’s term until November 2024.

“It is my solemn honor to have been elected to fulfill the remainder of my friend Jack Sandlin’s term in the State Senate. I will never try to be another Jack, but I will keep his legacy at heart, and will be your representative at the Statehouse and in the community as I fight for Hoosier families and our foundational conservative principles. I will always fully support law enforcement and their mission to keep our families safe and hold criminals accountable. I will work to keep taxes low, ensure our state government spends within its means, that small businesses remain supported, and that our education system works for all Hoosier children with transparency and parental involvement along the way. And I will be an unwavering conservative voice for Marion and Johnson Counties in the State Senate. I look forward to serving the Hoosiers I’m blessed to represent.”