Pelath will not seek re-election in 2018, to resign leadership post this week

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath from Michigan City announced today he will not seek re-election as 9th District representative in 2018, and that he will resign from his leadership post this week.

In a letter e-mailed today to House Democrats, Pelath said his decision was based in part on a desire to spend more time with his family. Pelath and his wife Laura recently welcomed a baby boy named Leo.

In his letter to caucus members, Pelath said, “Immediately after the past election, I confided to many of you that I was not going to do this forever. And after several months of repressed doubts, soul-searching, and discussions with my family that time has come—as it does for most of us.

“I have always viewed the position of leader as pure service, not one of grandiosity or ambition,” he noted.

Pelath indicated that his last day as House Democratic Leader will be Organization Day (Tuesday, November 21). He also said he would finish out the remainder of his term in office.

Pelath was first elected to represent the 9th District in 1998. Almost immediately, he made a mark in the Legislature as a procedural expert guiding the flow of legislation, and through his service on the House Ways and Means Committee, where he was instrumental in overseeing funding for countless state priorities.

In 2012, he was elected House Democratic Leader by his colleagues.

His legislative highlights include passage of the Great Lakes Water Use Compact, which helps protect the water in every state and Canadian province that borders the Great Lakes.

During the past session, Pelath was instrumental in passage of legislation designed to enhance economic opportunities along the South Shore Line in Northwest Indiana.

He works as a human resources director at the Swanson Center in Michigan City.

In addition to his son, Pelath has two daughters, Israel and Isabella, and a stepson named Enzo.

Pelath received a Bachelor of Science degree in public affairs from Indiana University in 1992 and served as an aide to U.S. Rep. Tim Roemer from 1992 to 1997.

He served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve. He is a graduate of the Indiana University ROTC program and the Armor Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox, Ky. He is a member of the American Legion.