A Democrat campaigning for state Senate in Indiana was charged with cocaine possession and resisting law enforcement after a confrontation with police officers on Sunday, with court documents noting he appeared high on drugs.
Andrew Dezelan, 39, is seeking the Democratic nomination for Senate District 31 in an upcoming primary, but he’s now facing charges after police allegedly found cocaine in his car, according to WTHR-TV in Indianapolis.
The incident took place about 8 p.m. in Fishers, a city about 30 miles north of Indianapolis, when Fishers police responded to a person “soliciting a neighborhood,” the station reported.
A Democratic candidate for a competitive Indiana State Senate seat was arrested while canvassing on April 26, according to court records. Read more: https://t.co/UxI6KjwsKy pic.twitter.com/0FJCbmTGgh
— IndyStar (@indystar) April 28, 2026
Officers found Dezelan in his car at the neighborhood clubhouse.
When the responding officer asked him why he was there, he reportedly refused to provide a clear answer, yet claimed he had permission from a home owners association board member, WTHR reported.
“I noticed Mr. Dezelan had been speaking quickly, making very quick, nervous, and unorganized movements, he was visibly sweating,” the arresting officer wrote in an arrest affidavit, according to the Indianapolis Star. “All of which are typical signs of someone who is under the influence of a narcotic.”
When the officer asked for identification, Dezelan said he “needed to leave” and tried to put his vehicle in reverse, according to WTHR.
He was told to stop the vehicle and get out, before the officer grabbed his wrist, allegedly causing Dezelan to “frantically move around.”
He was later pulled out of the vehicle and resisted arrest, before complying with the officer who handcuffed him.
After he was cuffed, the officer reported finding a clear Ziploc bag filled with a small amount of white powder.
The officer proceeded to test the powder with a narcotics field test kit and it came up positive for cocaine, according to an affidavit cited by WFYI-TV, the PBS affiliate in Indianapolis.
Dezelan was ultimately booked at the Hamilton County Jail and given a $10,000 bond Monday afternoon.
Neither Dezelan nor his attorney responded to requests for comment the Indianapolis Star reported on Monday.
On Wednesday afternoon, Dezelan’s account on the social media platform X, “dez4senate,” was “protected,” meaning it was not open to public view.
Dezelan is a former policy director for the state Senate Democratic Caucus, according to the Indianapolis Star. He is facing three rivals in the May 5 primary, the newspaper reported.
WFYI-TV wrote about the state Senate race earlier this month with the headline: “Could Indiana Senate District 31 turn blue? Here are the candidates vying for the open seat.”
He told the station that one of his top priorities would be “making sensible marijuana reforms that will drive dollars into needed services.”
The article stated that GOP state Sen. Kyle Walker will not be seeking reelection and listed Dezelan as the top candidate in a list of four potential nominees.
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