Indiana Midterm Elections Feature Closely Watched Secretary of State Race
Voters head to the polls across Indiana as Democrat Beau Bayh and Republican Max Engling face off in a high-stakes secretary of state contest.
Voters across Indiana headed to the polls on Tuesday for the 2026 midterm elections, casting ballots in a series of consequential local and statewide races that could shift the political landscape. Among the most closely watched contests is a competitive four-way race for secretary of state, where Democrats are aiming to secure statewide power for the first time in nearly 15 years.
The secretary of state race features Democratic candidate Beau Bayh, a 30-year-old attorney and Marine Corps veteran, against Republican candidate Max Engling, a 39-year-old former congressional staffer. Independent candidate Greg Ballard and Libertarian candidate Lauri A. Shillings are also on the ballot, creating an unusual four-candidate field for the office that oversees state elections and business registrations.
Bayh has leveraged family connections as the son of former governor and U.S. Senator Evan Bayh, positioning himself as the best-financed Democratic candidate of the decade. His campaign has criticized the spending of outgoing Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales, who lost his party's nomination in June. Meanwhile, Engling has emphasized election security and targeted Bayh's Washington-area upbringing during the expensive campaign.
Recent polling indicates a tight race between Bayh and Engling. Democrats hope that a strong performance by Bayh could create momentum and boost party candidates down the ballot, as the GOP looks to defend its streak of winning all statewide elections since 2014 and protect its legislative supermajorities.
Beyond the secretary of state contest, Indiana voters are weighing several other statewide and local matters. These include a competitive race in the 5th Congressional District between Republican U.S. Representative Victoria Spartz and Democratic State Sen. J.D. Ford, as well as multiple local school board races that feature political party affiliations on the ballot for the first time.
Voters are also deciding the fate of two proposed state constitutional amendments. One amendment would grant judges the power to deny bail to defendants whom prosecutors prove pose a danger to the public, while the other would permit city and town court judges to reside outside their municipalities.
Polls across Indiana close at 6 p.m. local time, at which point live results and updates will begin tracking the outcomes of these pivotal midterm decisions.