Libertarians pick Indiana secretary of state candidate.

Lauri Shillings, a graphic designer and small business owner, is officially running as a Libertarian in the Indiana Secretary of State race after receiving the nomination at the party's state convention March 20-22.

Shillings joins a somewhat crowded field for the office, including former Indianapolis mayor and independent candidate Greg Ballard. The lifelong Republican will run under the newly formed "Lincoln Party" but he faces an uphill battle to secure a spot on the ballot.

In Indiana, Libertarians are currently guaranteed ballot access because they've consistently received at least 2% of the vote in the secretary of state's race. To preserve automatic ballot access, Shillings must pass that critical threshold in November — a prospect that could be made more difficult if Ballard gets on the ballot and siphons some Libertarian voters.

The Democratic and Republican candidates Shillings will face in November will be determined at their respective party conventions in June. Democratic contenders include Beau Bayh, of the Bayh political dynasty, and army veteran and business owner Blythe Potter. On the GOP side, Secretary of State Diego Morales is facing a challenge from Knox County Clerk David Shelton. Past gubernatorial candidate Jamie Reitenour has said she intends to run but hasn't officially filed, according to the Indiana Republican Party. The deadline to file is 30 days before the convention, which begins June 19.

Shilling's campaign priorities include preserving integrity and neutrality in Indiana elections, modernizing government and business operations and restoring public trust to the office.

“The Secretary of State’s office belongs to the people of Indiana — not to political parties,” Shillings said in a news release. “Indiana doesn’t need a Secretary of State who treats the office as a political tool. We need someone who treats it as a public trust.”

The other statewide candidate nominated at the Libertarian Party convention is John Schick, who's running for state comptroller.

The party also selected William Henry for the 2nd Congressional District, James Sceniak for the 7th Congressional District and Tonya Hudson for the 9th Congressional District.

~ Marissa Meador | Indy Star | March 24th, 2026