City-County Councilor Vop Osili announced his bid to become the next mayor of Indianapolis on Jan. 15. Osili, a Democrat representing District 12, has served on the City-County Council since 2015, holding the position of council president from 2018 to 2026.
Osili credits his family’s example for inspiring his commitment to serve his community.
“The last time I saw my grandfather, on the morning he died, he was sweeping the sidewalk in front of our home in Haughville,” Osili said in a press release. “Not because anyone was watching, but because he had pride in our home and pride in our neighborhood. I’ve carried that memory through my life and my public service.”
RELATED: Councilor will not seek re-election as City-County Council President
Osili was elected to City-County Council in 2011. As a member of the Council, Osili chairs the Rules & Public Policy Committee and serves on the Community Affairs Committee.
He previously served as a member of the Indiana Fire and Building Services Commission, chaired an Indianapolis Board of Zoning Appeals and has served on the board of various local organizations such as the United Way of Central Indiana and the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis.
“This campaign isn’t about ideology or political labels,” Osili said. “It’s about whether city government is delivering the basics people rely on every day — safe and stable housing, public safety rooted in trust and humanity, and real economic opportunity.”
A graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University and Columbia University with undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture and urban design, Osili was a founding partner of A2SO4, an architectural firm based in Indianapolis. He joined the Woolpert architectural firm in 2020 to lead urban design projects.
“As an architect, and a committed public servant, I’ve spent my life connecting homes and jobs, streets and parks, ideas and the people they serve,” Osili said in a video announcing his mayoral run. “After all, a city isn’t just what’s already built, it’s the choices we make next.”
Osili said the story of Indianapolis is defined by “the future we build together.”
It is unclear if Indianapolis’ current mayor, Joe Hogsett, will seek re-election. At the time of this reporting, only Pike Township Trustee Annette Johnson, is the other candidate to have announced a run for mayor.
For more information, visit votevop.com.
Camike Jones is the Editor-in-Chief of the Indianapolis Recorder. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Jones has a lifelong commitment to advocacy and telling stories that represent the community.
