Democrat Beau Bayh has raised more than $1 million to challenge Secretary of State Diego Morales

The race for the Indiana Secretary of State won’t get fully underway until next year, but donors are already backing candidates challenging incumbent Diego Morales.

Democratic candidate Beau Bayh has raked in at least $1,157,500 in large campaign donations since declaring his candidacy on Oct. 6, according to state data, demonstrating early enthusiasm against Morales and primary opponent Blythe Potter.

Indiana campaign finance law requires candidates to report large contributions, which are donations of $1,000 or more. Other reporting requirements are spread out across the calendar year.

Bayh has not yet reported a cash-on-hand amount, which includes small donations and campaign expenditures, as he declared his candidacy after the mid-year filing requirement.

Morales, the Republican incumbent, has reported at least $911,687, according to cash on hand in a semi-annual July campaign finance report. He also received a large donation in August for $10,000 from P4 Automotive LLC in Columbus.

Potter is running against Bayh for the Democratic nomination. She did not report any cash on hand in her July filing, but has since reported two large contributions totaling $20,000. Potter was in the U.S. Army Reserves and owned a small business.

The Secretary of State is Indiana's chief election official and oversees campaign finance reporting for candidates for state office.

The donations

Bayh is an attorney for the Indianapolis-based MacGill P.C., graduated from Harvard Law School, and served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He is the son of former Indiana Gov. Evan Bayh, also a Democrat.

Donations to his campaign include a $300,000 donation from Robert Johnson, an investor and businessperson who became the U.S.’s first Black billionaire in 2001, according to Forbes. Members of the Simon family — who are connected to the Indiana-based Simon Property Group and the Indiana Pacers basketball team — gave over $230,000 altogether. Dan Webb, a former U.S. attorney in Chicago, gave $100,000. Musician John Mellencamp, based in Nashville, Ind., and former Indianapolis mayor Bart Peterson also gave $10,000 each.

The Morales campaign said in a statement to WFYI that it is prepared for the 2026 election.

“Our campaign is building the resources necessary to ensure that Indiana’s elections are protected and not handed over to someone who would allow non-citizens to vote in our elections,” it said. The campaign said Bayh would “use the office as a stepping stone and will be an ally to pro-abortion and pro-transgender radicals whose values are out of step with the majority of Hoosiers.”

“We are confident that our January report, with over $1 million cash on hand, will reflect the deep, local support for the Secretary’s proven record of election integrity," it added.

Bayh’s campaign said in a statement to WFYI that it appreciates the support from donors so far.

“We are incredibly grateful for the support the campaign has received thus far and are raising the money necessary to wage a winning statewide campaign,” it read. “This includes support from Republicans and Democrats, labor unions and business leaders, and thousands of grassroots Hoosiers, who all want a new leader that will put Hoosiers first.”

The Potter campaign declined to comment. None of the campaigns confirmed figures or shared current totals.

The 2025 annual campaign finance report is due Jan. 21, 2026. The general election will be Nov. 3.

Contact WFYI data journalist Zak Cassel at zcassel@wfyi.org.