Democratic Rep. Dan Forestal Resigns From Indiana House, Effective Immediately

Rep. Dan Forestal (D-Indianapolis) announced Monday he is immediately resigning his seat in the Indiana House.

In a statement,  Forestal says the decision to resign is driven by a need to focus on his mental health, something he says is “long overdue.” The four-term Democratic representative has had legal issues since last summer, when he was charged with threatening police officers who stopped him on suspicion of drunk driving.

His latest arrest came last week for resisting law enforcement, battery against a public safety official and disorderly conduct. That was during a wellness check by law enforcement.

Forestal had already opted not to run for re-election. Now, a Democratic precinct caucus will elect a replacement to finish out the last few months of his term.

Indianapolis City-County Councillor Blake Johnson already announced his intention to seek to fill the vacancy. Johnson recently won the Democratic primary in Forestal's House district.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.