4 candidates to debate for Indiana Secretary of State vote
Oct 06, 2026
INDIANAPOLIS — Candidates for Indiana secretary of state will outline their platforms Wednesday night in the only scheduled debate for the office.
Republican Max Engling, Democrat Beau Bayh, Independent Greg Ballard and Libertarian Lauri Shillings will meet from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Public bro
adcasting stations across the state will air the event, and wishtv.com and wrtv.com will provide livestreams.
The four candidates enter the race from different professional backgrounds. Ballard, a former Republican mayor of Indianapolis, collected about 74,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot as an independent. Engling, a former staffer for Sen. Jim Banks, secured the Republican nomination after defeating incumbent Diego Morales at the state convention this summer. Bayh, a former U.S. Marine Corps captain, is the son of former Indiana governor and senator Evan Bayh. Schillings, a small business owner, is the chairwoman of the Hamilton County Libertarian Party.
The Indiana Debate Commission is hosting the event. Commission President Elizabeth Bennion described the organization as “an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to putting voters first.”
This is the only scheduled Indiana secretary of state debate.
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