The Lead Off State GOP delegates have selected Max Engling as the Republican nominee for Indiana Secretary of State Engling defeated incumbent Diego Morales for the party nomination and is now headed to the November general election Engling says his priorities include election integrity measure s, voter roll audits, and changes to early voting rules INDIANAPOLIS, IND. (WOWO) Indiana Republican delegates have selected Max Engling as the party’s nominee for Secretary of State, setting up a statewide race in November following a rebuke of incumbent Diego Morales. Engling, a staffer for U.S. Sen. Jim Banks, secured the nomination during the state GOP convention and will now move forward as the Republican candidate in the general election according to Fox 59. GOP nomination and campaign positioning Engling’s nomination comes after weeks of shifting political support within Indiana Republican leadership, including backing from Sen. Jim Banks and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, both of whom had previously withdrawn support for incumbent Secretary of State Diego Morales. In an interview with FOX59/CBS4, Engling said his campaign is focused on election administration and voter policy. “We’re focused on this role because we need to defend our elections here in the state of Indiana and make sure that we’re upholding the shared Conservative values with Hoosiers across the state,” Engling said. Election policy and proposed changes Engling said, if elected, he plans to work with the Indiana General Assembly on legislation that would close Indiana’s primary elections. Under that proposal, voters would be required to select a party affiliation when registering and vote only within that party’s primary. He said the goal is to strengthen what he described as election integrity and party-based participation in primaries. Engling also said he supports efforts to remove noncitizens from Indiana voter rolls, a process the Secretary of State’s Office and Attorney General’s Office have worked on in recent years. He said additional verification measures could include changes to state-issued identification formats to more easily distinguish voter eligibility categories. Early voting and election administration proposals Engling said he would support reducing Indiana’s early voting period to approximately two weeks, with expanded daily voting hours to offset the shortened timeframe. He said he has spoken with county election officials who believe the change could improve efficiency and reduce administrative strain. Indiana lawmakers have previously considered but not passed proposals to shorten early voting periods. Business registration enforcement priorities Engling also outlined plans to increase enforcement efforts within the state’s Business Registration Division, focusing on what he described as fraudulent business structures used by some trucking companies. He referred to these operations as “chameleon carriers,” saying they form and dissolve similar LLCs to avoid regulatory consequences. He said strengthening oversight would help improve road safety and prevent bad actors from continuing operations under new business identities. General election matchup Engling is set to face Democratic nominee Beau Bayh and Libertarian candidate Lauri Shillings in November. Former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard is also seeking ballot access as an independent candidate pending signature verification. Engling said he welcomes a competitive race and expects multiple candidates to split portions of the electorate. Next steps The Indiana Secretary of State race will continue through the general election campaign season, with candidates expected to increase outreach and policy rollouts ahead of the November vote. The Takeaway GOP nominee set for statewide race Max Engling has secured the Republican nomination for Indiana Secretary of State following a state GOP convention decision. Policy priorities outlined Engling is focusing his campaign on election integrity measures, voter registration audits, primary election changes, and business enforcement reforms. Competitive general election ahead Engling will face Democratic and Libertarian opponents in November, with additional independent candidates still working to qualify for the ballot. The post Max Engling outlines priorities after winning Indiana GOP Secretary of State nomination appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less