Karla Lopez Owens

Indiana Senate, District 46, IN

2022 Endorsement

Karla is a community organizer and an attorney. She comes from a working-class, immigrant family and has lived in Indianapolis for over 20 years. Karla is running for the Indiana State Senate seat in District 46, located in Marion County, the most diverse County in the state.

For over 11 years, Karla has fought for social change in Indiana through grassroots organizing and legislative advocacy. Interpreting at a young age, Karla became a bridge between her community and social service agencies. As a young adult, she was introduced to the complex immigration system through her Citizenship process and learned to navigate these systems. As a registered voter, she started organizing around the same issues her campaign is focused on: full political participation for all, voter empowerment, transparency and accessibility to government, fair wages, racial justice and immigration reform.

Karla was the first to graduate from college in her family. After graduating with her Bachelor’s degree, she enrolled in law school and graduated with her Juris Doctor. She was sworn in to practice law in Indiana in 2021.

Karla has worked with the non-profit, private and public sectors. She has served on the Marion County Citizens’ Police Complaint Board, the Marion County Commission on Youth, has taught and tutored students with the Indianapolis Public Schools for over 8 year and co-founded the Indiana Undocumented Youth Alliance, 9 years ago. She currently serves as the Director of Community Outreach with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office and lives on the East side of Indianapolis.