The Bilerico Project | Daily experiments in LGBTQ

Today State Senate Candidate Russell Brown welcomed the support of area classroom teachers in his campaign to represent Senate District 31 in the Statehouse.

Brown, a long time public servant, recently received the endorsement of the Marion County Political Action Committee, the local affiliate of the Indiana Political Action Committee for Education. The organization represents educators in eleven school corporations across Marion County.

"Russell Brown is a true advocate for children and public schools," Roni Embry, a teacher at Lawrence Township's Brook Park Elementary and Marion County PAC chairperson said. "As the husband of a public school teacher, he is able to understand the needs of public schools while being a good steward of the tax payer's money. Russell Brown will be a true voice for public education and all children."

If elected, Brown would represent portions of the Metropolitan School Districts of Lawrence Township and Warren Township as well as a part of the Indianapolis Public School Corporation in the Indiana General Assembly. Public schools from these corporations located in Senate District 31 have an enrollment of nearly 19,000 students and nearly 1,200 teachers.

"I am honored to have the support and encouragement of local educators and I would like to thank the members of the Marion County PAC for supporting my campaign for State Senate," Brown said.

"For far too long, our teachers have been given much of the blame for the problems facing Indiana's educational system, yet they very rarely receive the tools they need to succeed. As a State Senator, I will fight for our schools and teachers so that they can provide a world-class education to every Hoosier child."

The Indiana State Teachers Association provides the resources necessary to enable local affiliates to effectively advocate for members, children and for public education. Each district has a political affiliate that endorses candidates at the state, local and federal level. In Indianapolis-Marion County, the Political Action Committee members include teacher representatives from public school districts throughout the county.

Brown is currently pursuing his law degree at Indiana University in Indianapolis and is employed by Fillenwarth Dennerline Groth & Towe and previously worked the O'Bannon and Kernan administrations. He lives in the city of Lawrence with his wife of seven years, Emily, an English teacher at Warren Central High School.

Located entirely within Indianapolis-Marion County, Senate District 31 includes a portion of eastern Center township, the northern portion of Warren township and a large portion of Lawrence township, including the city of Lawrence.