The second secretary of state debate with Indiana’s four candidates is Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The debate is hosted by the Indiana Debate Commission at WFYI studios in Indianapolis and will be available on WTIU. The stream can also be watched online.
Laura Merrifield Wilson, professor of political science at the University of Indianapolis, will moderate.
All four candidates are participating: Democrat Beau Bayh, Republican Max Engling, independent candidate Greg Ballard and Libertarian Lauri Shillings.
The secretary of state race is one of Indiana’s closest races this election, and polling shows the race is tight. The position oversees elections, securities, auto dealer and business services.
Engling was a staffer for U.S. Senator Jim Banks before running for secretary of state. He won the Republican nomination over current secretary Diego Morales.
Bayh was in the Marine Corps and is ason of former Indiana governor Evan Bayh.
Bayh and Engling have both faced flack over receiving massive donations for their campaigns, and their TV ads spar over who has the deepest Indiana roots.
Ballard is the former mayor of Indianapolis and is running as an independent Lincoln Party candidate. He saidone of his goals is ending partisan actions by whoever holds the office.
Shillings has been the Hamilton County chair of the Libertarian party since 2021. She won the party’s nomination for secretary of state in March. This race is key for Libertarians because the party must get at least 2% of the vote to keep automatic ballot status.
