Bayh leads Engling in secretary of state race with three-fourths of votes counted

• Election results from WISHTV.com

Democrat Beau Bayh led Republican Max Engling as vote counting continued Tuesday in the race for Indiana secretary of state.

The four candidates were Max Engling, a Republican; Beau Bayh, a Democrat; Lauri Shillings, a Libertarian; and Greg Ballard, a Lincoln Party candidate. The winner will serve as the state’s chief election officer.

With 82.9% of Indiana votes counted at 11 p.m., Bayh led with 853,231 votes. Engling had 754,234. Ballard and Shillings shared less than 6% of the remaining votes.

Early-voting and absentee ballots released short after polls closed in Hamilton County gave Bayh 48,619 votes. The next closest was Republican Max Engling with 25,351. Ballard had 3,726, and Shillings had 923.

In Allen County, the first results issued shortly after polls closed showed Bayh with 31,050; Engling, 16,361; Ballard, 1,178; and Shillings, 756.

Voters chose among four candidates for secretary of state, and vote counting was to begin Tuesday night.

Engling, 39, is a former congressional staffer who served under U.S. Sen. Jim Banks. He secured the Republican nomination at the June convention after challenging and defeating incumbent Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales.

Bayh, 30, is a member of a prominent Indiana political dynasty. He is the son of former Indiana Gov. and former U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, and the grandson of former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh.

Ballard, 71, is a Marine Corps veteran and the former Republican mayor of Indianapolis. He is running under the newly formed Lincoln Party banner.

Shillings, 55, works as a creative director at the University of Indianapolis and advanced to the ballot after receiving the Libertarian Party nomination in March.

Other Indiana state races

Indiana state comptroller (formerly auditor): Republican incumbent Elise Nieshalla faced Democrat Jessica Bailey and Libertarian John Schick.

Indiana state treasurer: Republican incumbent Daniel Elliott faced Coumba Kebe.

Elliott said Tuesday night while watching election results, “Well, I think that what we can see is there are some things we’ve got to work on. As a Republican Party, there are some things we’ve got to work on that matter to Hoosiers.”

Indiana ballot questions

Public Question 1 would amend the state’s Constitution, which currently guarantees the right to bail in most cases, with exceptions for murder and treason when the evidence is strong. If voters approve the question, those exceptions would expand to include other crimes if prosecutors can show that there is strong evidence against a defendant and prove that the defendant poses a risk to public safety.

Public Question 2 would allow city and town judges to reside in either the county where the court is located or the closest bordering county. If voters do not approve it, city and town court judges would still be required to live in the city or town where the court is located.

About The Author

See author's posts