Southport police chief enters 7th District race

INDIANAPOLIS — A central Indiana police chief is stepping down to make a longshot run to unseat Democratic Rep. Andre Carson next year.

Southport Chief Steve Davis says he’ll run as a Republican in the heavily Democratic district. The district covers most of Marion County and is one of two Indiana seats drawn by Statehouse Republicans considered Democratic locks.

Davis says he’s running against “violent hate speech” that has gridlocked Washington. He points to comments Carson made over the summer that tea party lawmakers want to see blacks “hanging on a tree.”

Carson’s remarks sparked a firestorm among conservative news outlets. At the time he said he would not apologize for the remarks.

Davis has twice run unsuccessfully for Marion County sheriff.