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The Indiana Democratic Party gathered on June 6 for its State Convention, where approximately 2,300 delegates voted to nominate Beau Bayh as their candidate for the office of Indiana Secretary of State.

Bayh bested his opponent, Blythe Potter, by a 61-38 margin to advance to the November general election. In accepting the nomination, Bayh called for unity within the party and across the state, expressing a need for transparency and integrity in the Secretary of State’s office.

“Every Hoosier who believes in honest government and leaders with integrity has a place in this campaign,” said Bayh. “We can all agree that corruption and insider dealing has no place in Indiana. Together, we can bring accountability back to the Secretary of State’s office.”

Howard County sent 29 delegates to the state convention, marking a resurging interest in state government within the local party. Bethany Wenger, an activist with Operation Blue Horizon, was one of this year’s delegates, and she expressed her excitement in being a part of the election process.

“It's the first election year since I've gotten involved with local politics, and it felt like the best way for me to engage with the process without running a full-blown campaign for elected office,” said Wenger. “It's way more accessible, and a good introductory way to become familiar with the process of state political elections.”

The Democrats also nominated Coumba Kebe as their candidate for Indiana State Treasurer and Jessica Bailey for Indiana State Comptroller.

The Indiana Republican Party will hold its state convention on June 20 in Fort Wayne, where it will nominate its candidates for the state administrative offices. The Secretary of State race is of particular interest as incumbent Secretary Diego Morales has been saddled with multiple allegations of corruption, nepotism, and fraud.

Top Republicans turned their back on Morales last month, revoking their endorsements in favor of late entrant Max Engling, a former staffer of U.S. Senator Jim Banks. Knox County Clerk David Shelton and Jamie Reitenour, a former Republican gubernatorial candidate, also are in the race for the Republican Secretary of State nomination.