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Beau Bayh

Democratic candidate for Secretary of State, Indiana · Open seat

Attorney at an Indianapolis-based law firm; U.S. Marine Corps veteran

Beau Bayh is an Indianapolis attorney and Marine Corps veteran. He is the son of former Indiana Gov. and U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh and the grandson of former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh. He announced his campaign in October 2025, has never run for office before, and won the Democratic nomination for Indiana Secretary of State at the state party convention on June 6, 2026, taking 61% of delegate votes over Blythe Potter.

Where Bayh stands

Audit of the Secretary of State's office

Says he would order an independent audit of the office on his first day, to examine spending under current Secretary Diego Morales and decide who should be held accountable.

State contracts and campaign donors

Has pledged that no donor to his campaign will get a state contract. Says the office should stop giving no-bid contracts to campaign donors.

Office spending and hiring

Says he would end the hiring of officials' family members, spending public money on luxury vehicles, and travel with no explanation of who paid or why.

Voter ID

Supports Indiana's current voter ID law. Said at the Oct. 22 debate that Indiana has done a fairly good job of identifying voter fraud.

Straight-ticket voting

Wants the Indiana General Assembly to end straight-ticket voting.

Debate access for all candidates

Called for all four Secretary of State candidates to be invited to the televised FOX59/CBS4 debate, not just the two who met the 10% polling threshold.

Background

• Democratic nominee for Indiana Secretary of State, 2026 (won at state convention, June 6, 2026)
• Has never held public office
• Attorney at an Indianapolis-based law firm
• U.S. Marine Corps veteran (trained as a marksman)
• Son of former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh; grandson of former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh

In the news

• Bayh, Engling split over whether other secretary of state candidates should get debate invite Indiana Public Media, October 20, 2026
• Poll shows Democrat Beau Bayh with advantages in final weeks of Indiana campaign Indiana Capital Chronicle, October 16, 2026
• Sharp divides in Indiana secretary of state debate over noncitizen vote, spending audit Indiana Capital Chronicle, October 7, 2026
• Indiana Secretary of State – Beau Bayh The Reflector (University of Indianapolis), October 5, 2026
• 2026 Voter Guide: Indiana Secretary of State WFYI, September 23, 2026

Also running for Secretary of State

• Lauri A. Shillings Libertarian
• Greg Ballard Lincoln
• Max Engling Republican

Sources

• Ballotpedia: Beau Bayh
• WFYI 2026 Voter Guide: Indiana Secretary of State (candidate interview)
• Mirror Indy Voter Guide: Beau Bayh Q&A
• Indiana Capital Chronicle: Bayh wins Democratic nomination
• FOX59: Bayh, Engling debate coverage
• FOX59: Bayh post-nomination interview
• Indiana Public Media: debate invite dispute
• WLFI: Meet the candidate

Last researched October 23, 2026. Written in neutral language from the sources above. Spot an error? See how to report it.