Beau Bayh, the Democratic candidate for Indiana Secretary of State, visited the Bloomington Press Club on Wednesday to field questions about his bid for office.
The statewide position has a limited purview compared to its federal equivalent. It primarily oversees state elections but also charters new businesses and licenses vehicle dealerships.
Bayh said his decision to run was motivated in part by current secretary Diego Morales’s alleged corruption, including granting no-bid contracts to donors and spending taxpayer money on luxury vehicles.
“That's such an important responsibility and it's being entrusted to someone who I think is not up for the job,” Bayh said.
Bayh is a son of former governor Evan Bayh and grandson of senator Birch Bayh. Asked about the weight associated with his family name, he acknowledged the advantages that come with membership in a political dynasty but said he hopes to win on his own merits.
“I don't want to win this election based off of a family lineage, and I think that's insulting to the intelligence of the people in our state,” Bayh said. “This is a very important job, and people are going to vote for the most qualified individual.”
Aside from auditing his predecessor, Bayh’s goals include advocating for citizen-led ballot initiatives, protecting early voting and ending straight ticket voting.
Scandals hounding the current office holder, and a crowded field, give Democrats a rare chance at winning a statewide race.
Since Morales lost the Republican primary election, his party is fielding a new candidate, Max Engling, an aide to U.S. Senator Jim Banks.
Additionally, two independent candidates have joined the fray. Former Republican mayor of Indianapolis Greg Ballard announced his candidacy with the Lincoln Party (which he created in March for the election) and Lauri Shillings will represent the Libertarians.
Bayh has positioned himself as a moderate, hoping to sway disaffected Republican and third-party voters. One audience member asked about a campaign ad that featured him firing a rifle and wearing his Marine Corps fatigues. Bayh said it was meant to emphasize his experience as a captain in the military.
“They’re going to say that I'm too young for this job, that I don't know what I'm talking about,” he said. “So that ad, in some ways, is meant to say I've led people in very difficult situations.”
He added, “We have a Second Amendment in this country, and it's not owned by any political party. And I think sometimes folks think it is, but it's not.”
The next Secretary of State will be chosen in the midterm election on Nov. 3.
