Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Former U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly nominated to be Vatican ambassador

Joe Donnelly served as Indiana's U.S. senator from 2013 to 2019.
(Lauren Chapman/IPB News)
Joe Donnelly served as Indiana's U.S. senator from 2013 to 2019.

Another Hoosier is joining the Biden administration. The president Friday nominated former U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly to be ambassador to the Vatican.

Donnelly – like Biden, a Catholic – had campaigned for Biden, writing an op-ed last year talking about their shared faith tradition.

The Hoosier Democrat served three terms in the U.S. House before winning the race to replace former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar in 2012. He lost his re-election bid in 2018 to now Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.).

His appointment as ambassador to the Holy See must be confirmed by the Senate.

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

Brandon Smith has covered the Statehouse for Indiana Public Broadcasting for more than a decade, spanning three governors and a dozen legislative sessions. He's also the host of Indiana Week in Review, a weekly political and policy discussion program seen and heard across the state.
Support independent journalism today. You rely on WFYI to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Donate to power our nonprofit reporting today. Give now.