Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales has turned down a second job offer that would have allowed him to leave state politics ahead of a contested Republican convention, sources familiar with the negotiations tell Indy Politics.
As of Thursday evening, the sources say, an offer had been extended for a position in Washington, D.C., with a think tank. It was the second such opportunity floated to Morales in recent weeks. He declined both.
Public records show Morales earns about $145,000 a year as Secretary of State. Republicans familiar with the talks say the DC job could have paid roughly twice that, placing Morales in the influence economy around Capitol Hill, with access to venues such as the Capitol Hill Club. Multiple Republicans tell Indy Politics that U.S. Sen. Jim Banks was among those working to line up the position, which they described as a way to give Morales a financially attractive exit from a difficult political environment.
“It would have been the opportunity of a lifetime,” one GOP insider said, noting that former officeholders with less name recognition have secured similar roles in Washington.
The Washington offer followed an earlier opportunity, also intended to move Morales into a stable, better-paying position outside the race. That one went nowhere as well.
How it developed
GOP operatives and Statehouse veterans say the most recent negotiations had progressed far enough that a statement announcing Morales’ withdrawal had been drafted. According to one Republican with direct knowledge, members of Morales’ inner circle were seen leaving the Statehouse together and later meeting at a downtown hotel, fueling talk that an announcement was imminent.
“People were acting like Diego was done,” the source said. “We were told he was getting out.”
Morales instead signaled on social media that he was staying in the race. Several Republicans, including consultants and staff in his own orbit, say they learned of the decision by seeing the post. One source said people close to him described it as “news to us.” Another GOP operative involved in the earlier talks said at least one consultant moved to cut ties afterward.
The convention
Morales faces party delegates at the state Republican convention in Fort Wayne on June 20, where he is defending his record against challengers for the GOP nomination. With the nomination decided by roughly 1,800 delegates in a secret ballot, the candidates have flooded those voters with phone calls, text messages, email blasts and mailers, which continue to drop as the convention approaches.
At a recent forum in Hancock County, Morales shared the stage with Dave Shelton and Max Engling. Morales spoke first and left first, exiting around 6:48 p.m. without taking questions from delegates.
The declined offers come after Banks and Attorney General Todd Rokita — both previously supporters of Morales — withdrew their endorsements last month and backed Engling. Rokita publicly called on Morales to suspend his campaign and noted that he himself took the attorney general nomination from a sitting officeholder on the convention floor in 2020.
What’s next
Morales has given no public indication that he intends to leave the race. He is scheduled to appear before delegates June 20 in Fort Wayne.
Indy Politics will continue to follow this story.
