Indiana Republican Convention: The Party Has Spoken
- Morales's issues, from nepotism to lavish spending, led to his downfall in the SoS race
- Shelton, a long-time candidate, was viewed as a 'boring but solid' option
- Engling emerged as the front-runner, winning the nomination in a two-round vote
Indiana Republican Convention: The Party Has Spoken
As the Republican Convention came to a close, one thing was clear: the party had spoken, and it was time for a change. Tony Katz shares their thoughts on the contentious campaign for Secretary of State, where Max Engling emerged as the Republican nominee.
“It was a contentious campaign, and I think every single issue Diego Morales had was an issue he brought upon himself,” the speaker says, highlighting the incumbent’s mistakes that ultimately led to his downfall. “He is at fault. He can talk about how others stabbed him in the back, but it’s just because his arms were long enough to reach his own back.”
The speaker notes that Diego Morales’s issues were numerous, from hiring his brother-in-law to buying a $90,000 vehicle and taking trips that sparked controversy. “If he hadn’t done all those things, things would have been much easier for him,” Tony says. “But he did, and now he’s out.”
David Shelton, who received 543 votes in the first round and 627 in the second, was also discussed. The speaker notes that Shelton had been running for the office for a while and had engaged in conversations about his qualifications. “He wasn’t new to this,” the speaker says. “He’s a boring guy, but he’s a solid candidate.”
Max Engling, who ultimately won the nomination with 715 votes in the first round, was seen as the clear front-runner. “It was a two-round thing, although it could have been a third,” the speaker says. “But it was Diego Morales who went from 283 votes in the first round to 134 in the second. Nobody wanted him.”
The speaker concludes that the Republican Convention was a turning point for the party, and now the question is how to defeat Beau Bayh. “And is Greg Ballard, the independent candidate, a real player in this?” the speaker asks. “We’ll get to that coming up.”
Listen to the “Indiana Republican Convention: The Party Has Spoken” discussion in full here:
