April 5th, 2026 Len’s Political Note #802 Beau Bayh Indiana Secretary of State
2026 Primary and General Election
Beau Bayh is running for Secretary of State in Indiana. If that name sounds familiar, it might be because his father is former Senator Evan Bayh. If you are as old as I am, the familiarity might be with his grandfather, the former Senator Birch Bayh. While most politicians who run for a down ballot statewide role have further ambitions, Indianans and the rest of us are bound to wonder if there is a possibility of another Senator Bayh in Beau Bayh’s future.
Political dynasties are not foreign to the United States of America. Here are a few:
- The Tafts of Ohio.
- The Bushes of Connecticut and Texas
- The Adams of Massachusetts
- The brothers Kennedy of Massachusetts and New York
- The Gores of Tennessee
- The Longs of Louisiana
- The Byrds of Virginia
- The Roosevelts of New York
Only the Tafts lasted four generations of elected family members and the fourth generation ended with a bribery conviction. The Roosevelt Presidents were really too distantly related to be considered a dynasty.
On August 15, 2025, Beau Bayh was in French Lick, Indiana, a town of fewer than 2,000 people, a little north of Indiana’s border with Kentucky, and famous for its luxurious spa which, in a different era attracted a DEI of celebrities. Among them were Irving Berlin, Joe Louis, and Al Capone. In 1931, Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced his intention to run for President in French Lick. NBA followers; especially followers of the Boston Celtics, would know that basketball great Larry Bird was from French Lick.
Beau Bayh and his dad were at an unglamorous venue – French Lick’s American Legion Post. Beau Bayh spoke for about six minutes. “I’m here because I’ve seen what’s going on in our country and our state. To be honest, we’ve got some real work to do. We’ve got to rebuild our middle class in Indiana. The middle class a lot of you in this room grew up with isn’t there anymore. People are holding two full-time jobs and barely making ends meet.”
Beau Bayh had begun. “The first thing I did after college was to join the United States Marine Corps. In the units I led, I can tell you it did not matter where you came from. It didn’t matter what you looked like. It sure as heck did not matter who you voted for. None of those things were important. We came together despite those differences to achieve a common mission, to fulfill our common purpose. And, honestly, we could use a little of that Marine spirit today.”
Beau Bayh added, in this non-announcement: “We’ve got to rebuild the broken bond of trust between our elected officials and the people. I see the folks in Indianapolis. They’re not serving us; they’re serving their donors. They’re serving the insiders, the special interests,…they’re serving the establishment.”
Evan Bayh chatted with members of the press, explaining his son would explore his options. The members of the press did not challenge him, but they knew. Evan Bayh had begun his state-wide political career running for an open Secretary of State position. Beau Bayh would be running for Secretary of State.
In 2026, this is not an open seat. It is a targeted seat. The incumbent Republican, Diego Morales, is in trouble, He has two primary challengers because his term of office has been problematic. He has been criticized for nepotism, for awarding no bid contracts, for awarding undeserved bonuses. Beau Bayh is running against him.
Beau Bayh is 29 years old. He was entering high school in Washington when his dad withdrew from his reelection run. The family remained in Washington where Evan Bayh was a consultant and political advisor, though not a registered lobbyist. Beau Bayh continued at the St. Alban’s School, the school from which his father had graduated. From there, he went to Harvard and earned his BA, after which he enlisted in the marines. After two years of active duty, he remained in the reserves and returned to Harvard for his JD. He clerked in the 7th circuit then went to Indianapolis to practice law and to begin his political career.
Birch Evans Bayh IV (who dropped the Birch, the Evans, and the numeral before adding Beau) would follow his dad Senator Birch Evans Bayh III (who dropped Birch, the Roman numeral and the “s”), his grandfather Senator Birch Evans Bayh Jr. (who dropped the “Evans” and the “Jr”), and his great grandfather. The original Birch Evans Bayh was not in politics at all. He was the Indiana State University basketball coach roughly fifty years before Larry Bird played there.
Leading Indiana Democrats are asking a lot of Beau Bayh. They see him running for Secretary of State and reviving the Indiana Democratic Party. This may be a good year for that revival, a year that could be a national Blue Wave. Beau Bayh is doing his part. His end of year 2025 report showed him with $1.8 million dollars available for his campaign – more than 10 times his Democratic opponent and more than the incumbent’s $1.2 million. Party conventions will select nominees for Secretary of State and two other down-ballot state wide positions. If the conventions nominate Beau Bayh and the incumbent Diego Morales, they will each begin with some resources to compete in the general election on November 3.
Does Beau Bayh have political issues, beliefs? He’s got a website which says he will “clean up the corruption in the Secretary of State’s Office.” Regarding voting, he says he will ensure there is no illegal voting, will make sure every legal voter can vote safely, and will expand voter participation in Indiana which has had low voter participation. Beau Bayh notes that Indiana does not have citizen-initiated referenda and argues for the constitutional change that would allow these processes.
DONATE to Beau Bayh’s campaign. Help him get elected. When the time comes, we will see if he has revitalizd the Indiana Democratic Party, run an office with integrity, and worked successfully toward allowing referenda in Indiana. That, along with maintaining a level of popularity in the state, will be a test for a future candidate for the Senate or for Governor.
Other Secretary of State Candidates
Midwestern States
Illinois
Incumbent Democrat Alexi Giannoulias will face Republican activist Diane Harris and will be heavily favored to win the election.
Iowa
Investor and Navy Veteran Ryan Peterman will oppose Republican incumbent Paul Pate. Accompanited by a strong Democratic candidate for governor and for the US Senate, and competitive Congressional races, down-ballot candidates could do well in Iowa. DONATE to Ryan Peterman’s campaign. See Len’s Political Note #789 for the Governor’s race, Len’s Political Note #737 for the Iowa 01 race and Len’s Political Note #789 for the Iowa 03 race.
Kansas
The Republican incumbent Secretary of State is running for governor. Two Democrats are running for this position – former State Rep Jennifer Day and Construction supervisor Sam Lane. Two Republicans are running as well – a college professor and a former State Rep and broadcasting executive. The primary is not until August 4. There will be other competitive races at the top of the ticket in Kansas. See Len’s Political Note #776 for the Governor’s race; see Len’s Political Note #752 for the Attorney General’s race, and see Len’s Political Note #792 for the US Senate race.
Michigan
The Democratic incumbent Secretary of State is running for Attorney General. Three Democrats are running for Secretary of State – County Clerk Barb Byrum, Lt. Governor Carlin Gilchrist, and ex Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli. Four Republicans are running – an autoworker, a businesswoman, a school board member, and a county clerk. See Len’s Political Note #747 for the Governor’s race, Len’s Political Note #763 for the US Senate race, and Len’s Political Note #742 for the Michigan 07 race.
Minnesota
Democratic incumbent Steve Simon is running for reelection to his fourth term. His Republican opponent will be former state rep, former state senator, and former district judge Tad Jude. Steve Simon has never lost an election and is unlikely to lose this one. Do you want to help make sure that he wins? DONATE. See Len’s Political Note #790 for the Minnesota 01 race
Nebraska
Democratic Businesswoman and Chef Sarah Slattery recently led an effort to remove a school board member who attempted to remove books from the school library. Sarah Slattery is running against the incumbent Bob Evnen or his primary opponent GOP activist Scott Petersen. Evnen recently removed a Democratic candidate for the US Senate from the ballot who the courts required him to restore. It would be worth the investment to DONATE to Sarah Slattery’s campaign. See Len’s Political Note #765 for the US Senate race.
North Dakota.
No Democratic candidate has emerged to oppose the incumbent Republican Michael Howe.
South Dakota
Terrence Davis, a long-distance graduate student in law and public policy at Liberty University, was a state trooper in Tennessee for five years before moving north and working in the same capacity for a year is South Dakota. He is a Black man and the only Democratic candidate for Secretary of State. The incumbent Republican Monae Johnson has a state rep primary opponent Heather Baxter. No wonder. Johnson released voter rolls with confidential information about the voters. Her apology does not persuade voters of her competence. Some South Dakota Republicans may like that Johnson refuses to say who the legitimate winner of the 2020 presidential election was. Terrence Davis says. “When people deny elections, fail to protect your privacy, they silence your voice. Incompetence is just as dangerous — it threatens our democracy and the future of South Dakota,” Invest in him. DONATE to Terrence Davis’s campaign. See Len’s Political Note #774 for the US Senate race
Wisconsin
The incumbent Secretary of State, Democrat Sarah Godlewski, is running for Lt. Governor. The Democratic candidate for Secretary of State is alderwoman JoCasta Zamarrippa. There is no Republican candidate, but a Green Party activist is on the ballot. See Len’s Political Note #731 for the state Supreme Court race that will occur in a couple of days. See Len’s Political Note #767 for the Wisconsin 03 race.
