Libertarian candidate for Indiana Secretary of State Lauri Shillings talks election bid

‘I understand the needs of everyday people’

INDIANAPOLIS — With days to go before the Indiana GOP decides its nominee for Secretary of State, Libertarian nominee Lauri Shillings said she believes there’s a growing appetite among Hoosier voters for more grassroots candidates outside the two-party system, like her.

“It’s not about a partisan role,” Shillings said during an interview with FOX59/CBS4 on Monday. “It’s about doing the work of the people of Indiana.”

If elected, Shillings said she’d bring a more business-centric approach to the role—promising to update the Secretary of State’s website to make it easier for voters (and business owners) to find and access the services they need.

“I looked at how services were provided in Indiana and I thought, instead of complaining into the wind, I should stand up and do something,” Shillings said.

In addition to overseeing elections, the Secretary of State’s Office also helps Indiana businesses navigate red tape.

“In the last year that I’ve been campaigning, every single person I’ve talked to has had issues with [the website],” Shillings said. “Either it’s not functional, links are broken, it doesn’t serve them in a way that seems intuitive, and I think as a business entity in Indiana, it should 100 percent be functional for people’s use.”

With Indiana consistently one of the lowest-ranking states for voter turnout, Shillings said she would work to improve voter education.

“I want to make sure they understand who’s on their ballot, how the process works, where they can go to vote, and make sure that we can expand access to them to do so,” Shillings said.

When asked how she would navigate lawmakers potentially reintroducing legislation to shorten the state’s early voting period, Shillings replied, “The role is not to create policy; it’s to execute the office of how the laws are written, so I would have to uphold that. I would certainly advocate to have those things expanded in a way—we want every available voter to be able to vote.”

Shillings also said she would work with Republican leadership in the Indiana General Assembly to make citizen-led referendums a reality.

“I think there’s a way to do that because I’m outside of the two-party system,” Shillings said. “I can probably approach different angles than what someone within the system would be able to.”

This comes as former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard announced on Tuesday that he has collected upwards of 35,000 signatures in his bid to become an Independent candidate in the race. Ballard has until the end of the month to collect and turn in signatures. According to his campaign, Ballard needs roughly 37,000 validated signatures in order to qualify for the ballot in November.

“More options are good for voters in Indiana because it brings accountable people to the forefront who are truly invested in the role that really want to do things that make a difference for everyone here in Indiana,” Shillings said. “I think that it’ll be interesting to see how he wants to bring his new ‘Lincoln Party’ to the forefront, although it’s not clearly stated what that party stands for.”

This weekend, hundreds of Indiana GOP delegates will decide which of four candidates will win the nomination. The incumbent, Secretary Diego Morales, faces three challengers for the job—former Jim Banks staffer Max Engling, Knox County Clerk David Shelton, and grassroots candidate Jamie Reitenour.

“No matter who they promote to office, they’re basically still going to be carrying water for people in Washington,” Shillings said. “They’re going to promote someone who will do the work of their party, and I think will be pretty much out of touch with regular people in Indiana.”

On the other side of the aisle, first-time candidate Beau Bayh secured the Democratic nomination earlier this month. The scion of a political dynasty, Beau’s father, Evan, served as a former Indiana governor and U.S. Senator. Beau’s grandfather, Birch, also served as a U.S. Senator.

“I think Beau Bayh is an individual who’s been groomed for a very long time to take political office, and he’s early in his career,” Shillings said. “I would like to think that he would settle down and commit to the full four years, but even in interviews with [FOX 59/CBS 4 News], he wasn’t able to solidify that statement.”

When asked why voters should choose her over the competition, Shillings replied, “I was raised in Indiana. I’ve been here my whole life. I understand the needs of everyday people. I truly want to do this job because I care about the people here and I care about the services that they get from government.”

~ Interview by Hannah Adamson for Fox 59 News | Published June 16, 2026

The complete interview with Laura Shillings can be viewed below: