Engling Talks Strategy, Party Unity in Convention Interview with T...

Engling Talks Strategy, Party Unity in Convention Interview with Tony Katz

Fresh off his nomination win, Republican Secretary of State candidate Max Engling sat down with talk radio host Tony Katz at the Indiana Republican State Convention to discuss a heated race and the fight ahead.

Engling, 39, captured the GOP nomination at the Grand Wayne Convention Center in Fort Wayne, defeating incumbent Diego Morales on the second ballot with 867 delegate votes. The former staffer for Sen. Jim Banks now sets his sights on the November general election.

When Katz pressed him on the tone of the contest, Engling didn’t dodge. He pointed to nasty text messages sent to delegates and AI-generated imagery used against him, saying the party “needs to be better” toward one another. Still, he acknowledged the reality of running. “When you put your name on the ballot, you’re signing up for the whole deal,” he said, noting his 20 years in Republican policy and politics.

Engling told Katz delegates wanted two things: a candidate who shares their conservative values and one who can win in the fall.

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Looking toward his Democratic opponent, Beau Bayh, Engling laid out a clear message for Hoosiers. He warned against what he called Democrat-style elections, citing the drawn-out, mail-in ballot counting that unfolded in Los Angeles. He also took aim at Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger, questioning her “nonpartisan” framing during her own campaign.

“I do not want that here in Indiana,” Engling said.

The exchange set the stage for what promises to be a closely watched statewide race this November.