Attention turns to Indiana general election after statewide office nominations
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Democrats on Monday said they see a chance to peel off Republican votes in the race for Indiana’s top election official.
During Saturday’s Indiana Republican Party convention, Diego Morales upset incumbent Secretary of State Holli Sullivan to take the party’s nomination, becoming the first Hispanic candidate to be nominated to a statewide Indiana Republican ticket in the process. Morales is a prior employee of the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office but had been fired from that office under one of Sullivan’s predecessors. He also has made false claims the 2020 election was stolen.
Mike Schmuhl, chief of the Indiana Democratic Party, says he sees the choice of Morales as a chance to sell disaffected Republicans on his party’s nominee, Destiny Wells. Schmuhl said Morales’ win was another sign the GOP is growing more extreme.
“We need to do what we’ve always been doing, which is going around this state, talking to people about issues that are important to them,” he said. “There’s no question Indiana has been off-kilter with one side of the aisle for a while now. But, I think most Hoosiers are more middle of the road.”
Mario Massillamany, chair of the Hamilton County Republican Party, said contrary to Schmuhl’s claims, the party is already coalescing around Morales.
“I spoke with Diego today, and, even myself, I was getting text messages and calls from people that supported other candidates. How can we get involved? How can we help out making sure that Diego gets elected?” he said.
Massillamany says he couldn’t speak to Morales’ 2020 election fraud claims but said everyone running for secretary of state had a common goal of making Indiana’s elections even more safe and secure. Asked whether there was any risk Morales might drive some voters to Wells, Massillamany immediately replied, “No chance.”
Morales’ campaign says it could not make him available for comment Monday.
Sullivan, who was appointed by Gov. Eric Holcomb after Connie Lawson stepped down, will continue to serve until her term expires at the end of the year. Sullivan’s campaign turned down a request for comment on the nomination fight.
The weekend’s nominations mean all three recognized political parties in Indiana have finalized their candidates for statewide office. The election will be Nov. 8.
Libertarian Jeff Maurer will round out the secretary of state race alongside Morales and Wells.
State treasurer nominees are Republican Daniel Elliott and Democrat Jessica McClellan, while Republican State Auditor Tera Klutz will face challenges from Democrat ZeNai Brooks and Libertarian John Schick in her bid for another term.