(INDIANAPOLIS) - Former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard has announced that he will run for Indiana Secretary of State.
Ballard, a Republican told the Indiana Capital Chronical that he will run as an independent candidate, and wants to bring a nonpartisan approach to the State's top elections office.
Ballard will need to gather nearly 37,000 certified petition signatures from registered voters by July 15 to be able to qualify for the November ballot. He says he is planning on collecting about 50,000 signatures just to ensure he meets the requirement. He also says he will need to raise $2 million to run a competitive campaign.
The Secretary of State race will be the top statewide contest on Indiana's ballot in 2026. Republican and Democratic nominees will be selected at their party conventions in June.
Current Secretary of State Diego Morales, a Republican, is seeking renomination and faces challenges from Knox County Clerk David Shelton along with Jamie Reitenour.
In the race for the Democratic nomination, Beau Bayh is running against Blythe Potter, a small business owner and Army veteran from Bargersville.
Ballard, a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, served as Indianapolis mayor from 2008 to 2016 after defeating Democratic incumbent Bart Peterson in the 2007 election.