Braun says he’s neutral in turbulent GOP Indiana secretary of state race

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun on Friday declined to join a growing list of top Hoosier Republicans calling for Secretary of State Diego Morales to suspend his reelection bid.

The governor emphasized that he “never” endorsed Morales or any other contender and said he “respect(s) the process” as the increasingly contentious GOP nomination fight heads toward next month’s state convention.

“I like a process that invites criticism, if it’s necessary — different viewpoints,” Braun told reporters. “In this case, that’s a stance I’ve taken from the beginning. That’s why I don’t need to adjust where I’m at now.”

Braun’s remarks came less than 24 hours after U.S. Sen. Jim Banks and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita publicly withdrew their support for Morales and instead endorsed Republican challenger Max Engling, a senior adviser and regional director in Banks’ Senate office.

Morales refuses to drop out after Banks, Rokita withdraw support in GOP secretary of state race

Indiana Treasurer Daniel Elliott became the latest statewide Republican official to break with Morales, calling Friday morning for the secretary of state to “resign immediately.”

Asked during a Friday news briefing whether he continued to support Morales amid the growing backlash, Braun noted that he had never endorsed in the race.

“I’ve never made an endorsement,” Braun said. “I think the two individuals that changed their minds did. That’s why I like transparency, competition, and the more choices you have, the better.”

Braun pointed to his own hard-fought statewide campaigns and said contested races ultimately strengthen the process.

“I’ve gone through the two toughest campaigns, probably in the history of the state, running for senate, running for governor. … Each one of them, they were full of competition and choices, (from the) primary through then the general (election),” Braun said.

“I think the delegates will now have another choice, and I respect the process,” he said. “Whenever you try to intervene and say this or that. I don’t like that, in general.”

Notably, Republican convention delegates in 2024 selected Micah Beckwith as the party’s lieutenant governor nominee over Braun’s running mate pick of state Rep. Julie McGuire.

The latest wave of Republican defections added to ongoing scrutiny around Morales, who has spent months battling controversies over his office spending, hiring practices and new questions surrounding a top aide who was later revealed to be a noncitizen who had improperly registered to vote.

In a statement released Friday morning, Elliott said the ongoing controversies had “shattered confidence” in the office and damaged the Republican Party ahead of the November election.

Call for Morales to resign

“From allegations of corruption and mismanagement to the news that his own Chief of Staff was a non-citizen and illegally registered to vote, these failures have created a constant stream of controversy that has shattered confidence in the office,” Elliott said in a statement.

“Indiana Republicans cannot continue asking voters to ignore conduct we would condemn anywhere else,” he added.

Elliott also called on Morales to step down as secretary of state altogether.

“I am calling on Diego Morales to resign immediately so the party and the state can move forward,” Elliott said. “It’s time to unite behind a candidate Republicans can be proud to support.”

Several of Indiana’s top Republicans had previously backed Morales but are now urging delegates to support Engling at the Indiana GOP convention on June 20.

Morales, however, has shown no signs of leaving the race. He said Thursday that he would continue his campaign despite mounting pressure from within his own party.

Engling has not responded to multiple interview requests and requests for comment from the Indiana Capital Chronicle in recent days.

Morales, Engling, Knox County Clerk David Shelton and conservative activist Jamie Reitenour are the four candidates who filed to run for the nomination.