Indiana's CEO For Democracy

The Democratic Candidate For Secretary of State Will Be Decided By Convention Delegates, Not Hoosier Voters

Dear readers, this post is a cautionary tale of how party politics can directly impact your lives and undermine the democratic process. Fasten your seat belts.

Both Blythe Potter and Beau Bayh would like to be Indiana’s next Secretary of State. Both are Democrats: Blythe Potter is a life long Hoosier; Beau Bayh grew up in Washington, D.C., moving to Indiana in 2024. Beau Bayh’s candidacy has the privilege and bone fides of family name, being educated in private schools including Harvard University, serving in Europe as a Marine infantry captain, and working as a law clerk and business litigant. Blythe Potter’s candidacy has the bona fides of roots firmly planted in Indiana, serving in Baghdad as a gunner and driver, being a successful business owner and the mother of three, as well as having a political career launched in her community.

Neither Blythe Potter nor Beau Bayh were on the Democratic primary ballot on May 5th. Instead, Indiana Democratic Convention delegates will determine which of the two people will be the Democratic candidate in November.

Some of those delegates were voted into that role by voters in their county, some were automatically elected because there were not enough delegate candidates for the county and were uncontested, and the rest of the delegate pool will be appointed by party leaders to fulfill the allotted number needed.

What this means is that on June 6th, at the Indiana Democratic State Convention, a pool of about 2000 delegates representing a minuscule fraction of Hoosier voters (about 1/1000) will decide for you who will be our Democratic nominee for Secretary of State.

Did You Know:

The Secretary of State (SOS) in Indiana operates as the chief elections officer and business registrar. It’s not a fancy or very public facing office, but it impacts the lives of every Hoosier. The office has great power over election transparency, functioning, and fairness, as well as voter protections and access to the polls. Very importantly, it also provides oversight and ensures accountability for businesses that already exist within the state and new businesses seeking to register here. A key function of the SOS office is to ensure that businesses operate without corruption or favor. This office is truly the CEO of our state democracy and the chief regulator of Indiana businesses.

Image by Unsplash/Steven Van Elk

Why It Matters:

The take away of the moment is that the candidates for a very important state office will be determined by those inside the party structure. Party leaders will decide who they think is the most electable and which candidate will bring the party more power. The party is desperate to end the authoritarian stranglehold that the GOP has on our state, we all are. But desperation isn’t a strategy.

The party’s favorite for the Democratic nominee for Secretary of State is Beau Bayh. Using the tired and worn out myths of electability, they are falling over themselves with the return of the prodigal son, their white knight who has come to the rescue. Too many believe that money and family dynasty will revive the party.

Memories are short. The Bayh legacy is that Evan Bayh abandoned the party and Hoosiers in 2010, when he announced his surprise decision NOT to seek re-election for U.S. Senate. His workshopped reason was that he just couldn’t tolerate the ‘partisan gridlock’. On January 21, 2011, two weeks after his last day in the U.S. Senate, he reported to work for a lucrative position at the private equity firm of Apollo Global Management, as a policy advisor.

In 2016, Evan Bayh returned to Indiana to run for Senate. Brian Howey, an esteemed political journalist, third generation Hoosier and founder of Howey Politics, wasn’t impressed. Howey wrote that Evan Bayh was responsible for creating the “Democratic disaster; and a lasting “political vacuum” for our state. Howey also attributed the death of Democrats’ long held strength in rural southern Indiana directly to Bayh’s desertion. Bayh’s war chest and dynastic legacy was not enough to win him that election. Todd Young still holds that seat.

Not every person within the party agrees that Beau Bayh is the best candidate and many are challenging the electability myth that has captured party leaders. There is a new energy that is emerging out of yesterday’s party, born out of hope not desperation. Not every convention delegate is buying the party line, and that is threatening the status quo within the party.

In theory, the delegates are a representational body, but there is little opportunity for the voters to have a voice in this process. Let’s change that.

What You Can Do:

You can become better informed about the choices and let the Democratic Party leaders and convention delegates hear from you as a citizen stakeholder in this election.

There is a growing tide of opposition to Beau Bayh’s candidacy and the information that is being uncovered is important for Hoosiers to know. Hoosier Lemon, a Substack author, is doing extensive research into his candidacy and is posting weekly from now until the convention on the Progressive Indiana Network’s platform. These posts have significant information about the funding sources as well as the Washington D.C. insiders who are supporting Beau Bayh’s campaign.

Blythe Potter’s Instagram is a window into her candidacy. A distinctive difference between the two campaigns is their source of funding. Blythe Potter’s campaign is funded from grassroots donations, not from billionaires with ties to the Republican Party nor corporate interests that would benefit from an ally in the business regulatory function of the SOS office. But her candidacy is more than that. She is also campaigning on rebuilding the Democratic Party into a people’s party, a party that welcomes new ideas and new faces. A party that trusts voters and is willing to do the hard work in winning their trust.

And let’s be clear, we aren’t the only ones who know about Bayh’s funding sources and their ties to corporate billionaires and the Epstein class. We can be sure the MAGA Republicans are doing their homework and opposition research on the heir apparent. It isn’t certain that Diego Morales will make it out of his convention as the MAGA nominee for SOS, perhaps trying to take some of the ‘sting’ out of anti-corruption attacks.

When my senator Fady Qaddoura filed his candidacy papers in 2020, he was told by party officials that he wasn’t the right demographic for that district. He ignored their opinion. He ran a grassroots campaign talking with everyone in his district, not just those identified as Democrats or Independents. He knocked on doors, made phone calls, and asked a lot of questions. He built relationships and he listened to the people. He handily won that election by a margin of 5.2%, and flipped the district from red to blue. It’s candidates like this who will bring new life to this calcified party.

Between now and June 6th, take the time to get to know these candidates and what they stand for. Every Hoosier has a stake in this election.

Reach out to your county chairs or township leaders and let them know your preferences. Ask for a delegate list for your district or county. (To date, there is no official list of elected delegates.)

The H4D team believes it’s time for a change in Indiana politics. We believe there is one candidate who will work exclusively for Hoosiers, who is not funded by Washington insiders and who will herald a new day to Indiana politics. Blythe Potter can win in November. Let’s give her a chance!

All Power to the People!

In solidarity,

Debbie and the H4D team