John Bradley “Brad” Ellsworth (born September 11, 1958) is an American former politician and law enforcement officer with longtime ties to Evansville, Indiana. He served as Vanderburgh County Sheriff from 1999 to 2007 and represented Indiana’s 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011.

Evansville career

Ellsworth was born in Jasper, Indiana, and moved to Evansville with his family as a child. He graduated from William Henry Harrison High School in 1976 and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Indiana State University–Evansville, now the University of Southern Indiana.

Ellsworth joined the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Department in 1982 and spent more than two decades with the department before being elected sheriff. During his law-enforcement career, he helped establish the DARE program in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation and graduated from the FBI National Academy.

Political career

In 2006, Ellsworth was elected to Congress, defeating incumbent John Hostettler. He represented Evansville and southwestern Indiana for two terms. In 2010, he left the House to run for the U.S. Senate but was defeated by former Senator Dan Coats.

Following his congressional career, Ellsworth returned to the Evansville business community, joining Vectren Corporation, where he served in senior leadership.