Indiana’s first openly gay major party candidate for governor announced his bid Monday.
Indianapolis tech CEO Josh Owens will seek the Democratic nomination.
Josh Owens is the CEO of SupplyKick, an Indianapolis-based online retailer. The 34-year-old, who’s never before run for elected office, announced he’s filed for governor.
In a statement, Owens cites teacher pay, marijuana decriminalization and strengthened gun regulations as key issues behind his run. Owens is also the first openly gay major party gubernatorial candidate in Hoosier State history and says he’ll push for anti-discrimination protections for the LGBT community.
Owens previously served as the chair of Indiana’s Charter School Board, appointed by then-Gov. Mike Pence.
The Indianapolis resident is the second Democrat to officially launch a bid to unseat incumbent Republican Eric Holcomb – former State Health Commissioner Woody Myers announced his candidacy earlier this year.
Contact Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.
