By BENJAMIN THROP for WFYI
Indiana voters this November will choose from four candidates in the secretary of state race.
The secretary of state is the third-highest ranking office in Indiana. The office oversees the state’s elections, maintains state records, charters new businesses and more. The term is four years.
Independent Greg Ballard, Democrat Beau Bayh, Republican Max Engling and Libertarian Lauri Shillings make up the crowded race for the seat.
This has been one of the most closely watched Indiana secretary of state races in recent memory. The office became more prominent after President Donald Trump sowed doubt about election security.
Current Secretary of State Diego Morales is also under fire. Even before he was elected, Morales was plagued by controversies. Accusations include nepotism, fraud and misspending state dollars.
Then, in an unusual move, top Republicans turned on Morales just weeks before the convention and pivoted to support Engling, a staffer for U.S. Sen. Jim Banks. Engling previously lost a bid for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District in 2024. He has not held public office.
Outside the party, Ballard, Bayh and Shillings all raised concerns about how the office was run under Morales and whether Engling can provide adequate reforms.
Democratic challenger Bayh comes from an Indiana political dynasty — as the son of former Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh and grandson of U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh — and he had early fundraising success. He has not held public office and is an attorney for a firm based in Indianapolis.
Ballard’s first elected office was as Indianapolis mayor, which he led as a Republican for two terms, 2008-2016. This year, the former Republican is running as an independent and vows to offer an alternative to the state’s two “broken” political parties. His campaign collected the roughly 37,000 signatures needed to appear on the ballot.
Shillings previously ran as the Libertarian candidate for the 5th Congressional District in 2024. She works for the University of Indianapolis.
WFYI contacted each campaign to conduct candidate interviews. We used voter feedback to guide our questions. For candidates who did not respond, information was gathered from websites and social media for a “Top priorities” note. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.
Greg Ballard
Personal information provided by candidate.
Party: Independent
Website: gregballard.com
Age: 71
Occupation: Former Mayor of Indianapolis
Residence: Whitestown
Notable donors: Ballard’s committee, Greg for Indiana, raised $876,267 as of June 30, 2026, according to Indiana Election Division data. Top donors include Hoosiers for Competitive Elections (a political action committee formed last year to support independent candidates) and Chair of the Eli Lilly Board of Directors John Lechleiter.
Ballard accepted WFYI’s invitation to an interview. Below is the full, unedited video interview and transcript. WFYI fact checked statements about publicly available data.
Beau Bayh
Personal information provided by candidate.
Party: Democrat
Website: beaubayh.com
Age: 30
Occupation: Attorney, MacGill Law
Residence: Indianapolis
Notable donors: Bayh’s committee, Beau Bayh for Indiana, raised $1,178,369 as of June 30, 2026, according to Indiana Election Division data. Top donors include philanthropist Cindy Simon-Skjodt, Teamsters Educational Political Action Committee, and billionaire Robert Johnson.
Bayh accepted WFYI’s invitation to an interview. Below is the full, unedited video interview and transcript. WFYI fact checked statements about publicly available data.
Max Engling
Personal information provided by candidate.
Party: Republican
Website: maxforindiana.com
Age: 39
Occupation: Most recently served on the staff of U.S. Sen. Jim Banks
Residence: Cicero
Notable donors: Engling’s committee, Max for Indiana, raised $202,745 as of June 30, 2026, according to Indiana Election Division data. Top donors include Indiana Speaker of the House Todd Huston (R-Fishers), Chris Garten’s political committee and Republican State Leadership Committee.
Engling accepted WFYI’s invitation to an interview. Below is the full, unedited video interview and transcript. WFYI fact checked statements about publicly available data.
Lauri Shillings
Personal information provided by candidate.
Party: Libertarian
Website: lauriforliberty.com
Age: 55
Occupation: Creative Director at the University of Indianapolis
Residence: Carmel
Notable donors: Shillings’ committee, Lauri for Liberty, raised $21,073 as of June 30, 2026, according to Indiana Election Division data. The report shows mostly small donations from individuals.
Shillings accepted WFYI’s invitation to an interview. Below is the full, unedited video interview and transcript. WFYI fact checked statements about publicly available data.
For more, visit the full article with transcripts and videos at WFYI.
