Secretary of State of Indiana · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in the Indiana secretary of state race?
Greg Ballard has the strongest record in the Indiana secretary of state race. Greg Ballard scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Max Engling at 59 and Beau Bayh at 58, as of October 6, 2026. Greg Ballard's highest marks are courage and accountability. Max Engling's highest marks are accountability and command of the job. Andrew Delano (2 of 15 criteria) and Lauri Shillings (7 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Lincoln Party
Strongest record
Greg Ballard
66 / 100
Public evidence on 11 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 60
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- 50
Democratic
Beau Bayh
58 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
Write-in
Andrew Delano
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 2 of 15 criteria
- Character
- NR
- Qualifications
- 50
- Performance
- NR
Republican
Max Engling
59 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 58
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
Libertarian
Lauri Shillings
On the ballot as Lauri A. Shillings
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 7 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 63
- Qualifications
- 60
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Greg Ballard
- On the record2026
Left the Republican Party and gathered about 37,000 petition signatures to run for secretary of state outside the two major parties.
Source: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
- On the record2026-09-30
Proposed legislation barring the secretary of state from endorsing, fundraising for or donating to other candidates; his opponents criticized the plan.
Source: WFYI, Oct. 1, 2026
- On the record2026-08-26
Debated all three ballot opponents at the Indy Chamber HobNob event.
- On the record2015-03-30
As Indianapolis's Republican mayor he called for repeal or amendment of the state Religious Freedom Restoration Act signed by Gov. Mike Pence and issued an executive order on the city's human rights ordinance.
Source: Slate, March 30, 2015
Beau Bayh
- On the record2026-07
Pledged not to award any secretary of state contract to a donor to his campaign.
Source: Mirror Indy, July 13, 2026
- On the record2026-09-23
WFYI's fact-check of his interview said outlets had reported the incumbent's SUV purchase at $90,000 and could not confirm his $92,000 figure.
Source: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
- Credit2024-2025
Clerked for Judge David F. Hamilton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Source: UIndy Reflector, Oct. 5, 2026
- Credit2023
Served as a U.S. Marine Corps officer and was honorably discharged as a captain in 2023.
Sources: UIndy Reflector, Oct. 5, 2026, USA Today, Feb. 28, 2026
Andrew Delano
No notable items confirmed in news archives or public documents.
Max Engling
- On the record2026-07-13
A dark-money group that does not disclose donors, Hoosier Leadership for America, had spent at least $60,000 on his campaign, per Mirror Indy; his spokesperson did not respond.
Source: Mirror Indy, July 13, 2026
- On the record2026-08-26
Debated all three ballot opponents at the Indy Chamber HobNob event.
Lauri Shillings
- On the record2026-08-26
Debated all three ballot opponents at the Indy Chamber HobNob event.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Greg Ballard. His committee, Greg for Indiana, reports to the Indiana Election Division. No official ethics or campaign finance finding against him found.
Source: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Beau Bayh. His committee, Beau Bayh for Indiana, reports to the Indiana Election Division. He pledged in July 2026 not to award state contracts to campaign donors. No official finding found.
Andrew Delano. No public record found.
Max Engling. His committee, Max for Indiana, reports to the Indiana Election Division ($202,745 raised as of June 30, 2026, per WFYI). No Indiana Election Commission order or other official finding found.
Source: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Lauri Shillings. Her committee, Lauri for Liberty, reports to the Indiana Election Division. No official finding found.
Source: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Greg Ballard. As Indianapolis's Republican mayor in 2015 he called for repeal of the RFRA law signed by Republican Gov. Mike Pence; in 2026 he left the Republican Party to run under the Lincoln Party label.
Sources: Slate, March 30, 2015, WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Beau Bayh. No public record found.
Andrew Delano. No public record found.
Max Engling. No public record found.
Lauri Shillings. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Greg Ballard. Took part in the Aug. 26, 2026 HobNob debate with all four ballot candidates, is scheduled for the Indiana Debate Commission debate on Oct. 7, and gave WFYI a full interview.
Sources: The Indiana Citizen, Aug. 27, 2026, WFYI, Indiana Debate Commission debate listing, WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Beau Bayh. Took part in the Aug. 26, 2026 HobNob debate with all four ballot candidates, is scheduled for the Indiana Debate Commission debate on Oct. 7, and gave WFYI a full interview.
Sources: The Indiana Citizen, Aug. 27, 2026, WFYI, Indiana Debate Commission debate listing, WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Andrew Delano. No public record found.
Max Engling. Took part in the Aug. 26, 2026 HobNob debate with all four ballot candidates, is scheduled for the Indiana Debate Commission debate on Oct. 7, and gave WFYI a full interview.
Sources: The Indiana Citizen, Aug. 27, 2026, WFYI, Indiana Debate Commission debate listing, WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Lauri Shillings. Took part in the Aug. 26, 2026 HobNob debate with all four ballot candidates, is scheduled for the Indiana Debate Commission debate on Oct. 7, and gave WFYI a full interview.
Sources: The Indiana Citizen, Aug. 27, 2026, WFYI, Indiana Debate Commission debate listing, WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Greg Ballard. Retired from the Marine Corps as a lieutenant colonel after 23 years and served two terms as mayor of Indianapolis. No censure or conduct finding found.
Source: Wikipedia, Greg Ballard
Beau Bayh. Served as a U.S. Marine Corps officer and was honorably discharged as a captain in 2023, then clerked for a federal appeals judge. No conduct finding found.
Source: UIndy Reflector, Oct. 5, 2026
Andrew Delano. No public record found.
Max Engling. Has worked as a U.S. House committee and leadership staffer and on Sen. Jim Banks' staff. No conduct finding found.
Source: Campaign site
Lauri Shillings. No public record found.
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Greg Ballard. Took and kept the oaths of Marine Corps service (1978 to 2001) and of mayor of Indianapolis (2008 to 2016). No misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Beau Bayh. Took the military oath as a Marine Corps officer and was honorably discharged. No misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: UIndy Reflector, Oct. 5, 2026
Andrew Delano. No public record found.
Max Engling. No public record found.
Lauri Shillings. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Greg Ballard. Two-term mayor of Indianapolis (2008 to 2016) and a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel. Has not held a statewide office.
Source: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Beau Bayh. Former Marine Corps infantry officer, Harvard-trained lawyer, federal appellate law clerk for Judge David Hamilton, and now an attorney at MacGill Law. Has not held public office.
Sources: UIndy Reflector, Oct. 5, 2026, WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Andrew Delano. Real estate investor; Republican nominee for mayor of Gary in 2023. Has not held public office.
Max Engling. Former staffer on the U.S. House Administration Committee and in House leadership, later on Sen. Jim Banks' staff, with small-business and agribusiness work. Has not held public office.
Sources: Campaign site, WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Lauri Shillings. Creative director at the University of Indianapolis and a small business owner for more than 20 years; chairs the Hamilton County Libertarian Party. Has not held public office.
Source: UIndy Reflector, Oct. 5, 2026
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Greg Ballard. Has proposed legislation to bar the secretary of state from endorsing or fundraising for other candidates, and a state-issued precinct-level voter guide.
Sources: WFYI, Oct. 1, 2026, WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Beau Bayh. Proposes an independent audit of the office on day one, a ban on contracts for his donors, and steps to raise turnout, within the office's powers.
Source: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Andrew Delano. No public record found.
Max Engling. Proposes a public transparency portal for election complaints, distinct ID cards for noncitizen legal residents, and action on fraudulent business filings, and says the ID change needs legislation.
Source: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Lauri Shillings. Proposes modernizing the office's business services website, voter education and an audit of the office, stated in general terms.
Sources: UIndy Reflector, Oct. 5, 2026, WNIN, Sept. 29, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Greg Ballard. Gave WFYI and WNIN interviews, held listening sessions around the state and took part in debates. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide, WNIN, Sept. 29, 2026
Beau Bayh. Gave WFYI, WLFI and UIndy Reflector interviews and took part in debates. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide, WLFI, Aug. 12, 2026, Ballotpedia
Andrew Delano. No public record found.
Max Engling. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey, gave WFYI and the UIndy Reflector interviews, and took part in debates.
Sources: Ballotpedia, UIndy Reflector, Oct. 5, 2026
Lauri Shillings. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey, gave WFYI and student-press interviews, and took part in debates and a New Harmony candidate forum.
Sources: Ballotpedia, WNIN, Sept. 29, 2026
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Greg Ballard. Born and raised in Indianapolis; lives in Whitestown, Indiana.
Sources: Wikipedia, Greg Ballard, WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Beau Bayh. Born in Indianapolis, raised largely in Washington, D.C., after his father's election to the Senate, and returned to Indiana in 2024; lives in Indianapolis.
Sources: Wikipedia, Beau Bayh, WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Andrew Delano. Hammond native who moved to Gary in 2013.
Max Engling. Lives in Cicero, Indiana, after years working in Washington; describes a rural Indiana background. No in-state contribution share computed.
Sources: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide, Campaign site
Lauri Shillings. Grew up in western Indiana and lives in Carmel.
Sources: UIndy Reflector, Oct. 5, 2026, WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Greg Ballard. Led the consolidated city government of Indianapolis as mayor for eight years. Campaign committee reports are on file with the Indiana Election Division.
Source: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Beau Bayh. Campaign committee reports are on file with the Indiana Election Division. No official finding about the campaign found.
Source: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Andrew Delano. No public record found.
Max Engling. Campaign committee reports are on file with the Indiana Election Division. No official finding about the campaign found.
Source: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
Lauri Shillings. Campaign committee reports are on file with the Indiana Election Division; runs her own small business.
Source: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Greg Ballard. As mayor he put city contracts online and launched the RebuildIndy infrastructure program, which began with $55 million in street, sidewalk and bridge projects in 2010.
Sources: WFYI 2026 Voter Guide, Wikipedia, Greg Ballard
Beau Bayh. No public record found.
Andrew Delano. No public record found.
Max Engling. No public record found.
Lauri Shillings. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Greg Ballard. No public record found.
Beau Bayh. No public record found.
Andrew Delano. No public record found.
Max Engling. No public record found.
Lauri Shillings. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Greg Ballard. No public record found.
Beau Bayh. No public record found.
Andrew Delano. No public record found.
Max Engling. No public record found.
Lauri Shillings. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Greg Ballard. No public record found.
Beau Bayh. No public record found.
Andrew Delano. No public record found.
Max Engling. No public record found.
Lauri Shillings. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Greg Ballard. No public record found.
Beau Bayh. No public record found.
Andrew Delano. No public record found.
Max Engling. No public record found.
Lauri Shillings. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in the Indiana secretary of state race?
Greg Ballard has the strongest record in the Indiana secretary of state race. Greg Ballard scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Max Engling at 59 and Beau Bayh at 58, as of October 6, 2026. Greg Ballard's highest marks are courage and accountability. Max Engling's highest marks are accountability and command of the job. Andrew Delano (2 of 15 criteria) and Lauri Shillings (7 of 15 criteria) have too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the Indiana secretary of state race in 2026?
Greg Ballard (Lincoln Party), Beau Bayh (Democratic), Andrew Delano (Write-in), Max Engling (Republican), Lauri Shillings (Libertarian). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Greg Ballard a good candidate for Secretary of State?
Greg Ballard scores 66 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 11 of 15 criteria: character 60 of 100, qualifications 75 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Beau Bayh a good candidate for Secretary of State?
Beau Bayh scores 58 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 60 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Andrew Delano a good candidate for Secretary of State?
Andrew Delano has public evidence on 2 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Max Engling a good candidate for Secretary of State?
Max Engling scores 59 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 58 of 100, qualifications 60 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Lauri Shillings a good candidate for Secretary of State?
Lauri Shillings has public evidence on 7 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Indiana race scored, and the Indiana 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.