Vop Osili raises money, and his profile, with new PAC

Why it matters: Osili is raising money to help elect council Democrats in November, a move that also raises his profile as a party leader.

Catch up fast: Democrats are playing defense in council races across Marion County.

• The party overachieved in 2019, winning 20 of 25 council seats.
• Last year's redistricting process favored Republicans, reducing the already long odds that Democrats can pull off a repeat of 2019.

The big picture: Mayor Joe Hogsett was a driving force in Democrats' 2019 dominance, spending money and sharing space on campaign materials to propel council candidates to victory.

What I'm hearing: Osili laid the groundwork to run for mayor this year, but sat out when Hogsett opted to run for a rare third term.

What he's saying: Osili waved off my questions about the next mayoral cycle.

• "This PAC is focused on 2023 and working on behalf of my colleagues," he said.

My take: Candidates who receive support from Osili now are likely to remember it in four years — and perhaps return the favor if he runs for mayor.

Between the lines: Osili is running unopposed, yet had $260,000 on hand for his campaign through April 7, a sign that his PAC could generate six figures.

Zoom in: Osili declined to say which races his PAC will target but a couple stand out as possibilities.

• Jared Evans, who has twice beaten the odds to win a west-side district that has supported former President Trump, is fending off a challenge from Republican Lisa Schmitz.
• Frank Mascari, a Democrat representing a Republican-leaning south-side district, including Fountain Square, is running against Kara Ferguson.

The bottom line: Osili's PAC positions the council president to look more … mayoral … while building goodwill among other Democrats.