51%: Beau Bayh wins Indiana secretary of state race

Beau Bayh secured 51% of the vote in Tuesday night's election to become Indiana's next secretary of state. He defeated Max Engling, who captured 42% of the total count. Greg Ballard and Lauri Shillings shared the remaining 5% of ballots.

Bayh campaigned on the premise that Hoosier voters deserve a direct role in shaping state policy. He told WNDU that he supports citizen-led ballot initiatives. "I trust Hoosier voters to have a more direct say," Bayh said. He argued that this direct input would improve policy and motivate residents to go to polling places.

The candidate also stressed the need to reduce financial strain on local communities. In a Free Indiana Poll released before a late-October Fox59 debate in Indianapolis, Bayh led in support. His primary rival, Max Engling, had previously unseated incumbent Diego Morales in the Republican primary. Engling cited his background with elections and state lawmakers as key preparation for the role.

Engling spoke to WNDU about his plan to maintain election integrity. He proposed an "eyes on elections" transparency portal and a crackdown on business filing fraud. Greg Ballard, the former mayor of Indianapolis, ran under the Lincoln Party banner. He advocated for political independence and a voter guide to boost turnout.

Lauri Shillings, the Libertarian candidate, completed the four-person field. She campaigned on streamlining business filing fees and reducing government regulation within the office. The result ends the term of the incumbent and places Bayh in charge of the state's election and business records functions.