With Election Day approaching, Indiana State Treasurer Daniel Elliott said his campaign is relying on local party organizations and face-to-face conversations to reach voters, particularly independents and people who remain undecided.
In an interview recorded days before the Nov. 3 election, Elliott said the absence of a governor’s race, U.S. Senate contest or presidential race made local outreach especially important. County parties and volunteers, he said, were helping his campaign knock on doors across the state.
“Social media is not real life,” Elliott said, arguing that volunteers talking with voters in their communities were central to getting his message out. He said he did not have a large campaign account or a deep roster of major donors, making local supporters especially important.
Elliott said voters were asking tough questions about economic pressures on families, small businesses and farmers. He said he believed his message was generally being received well, while acknowledging that national political issues could affect turnout. His campaign, he said, was emphasizing Indiana’s economy and what he described as the state’s low unemployment compared with nearby states.
As treasurer, Elliott said, his main responsibility is serving as the state’s chief investment officer. He said that in the previous three fiscal years, his office had generated $1.8 billion in investment returns—more than the amount raised in the previous 20 years combined, according to Elliott.
He said investment earnings can reduce pressure to raise taxes and support programs that benefit local communities. Elliott cited the Indiana Bond Bank, cybersecurity assessments for local governments’ 911 systems and a disaster-recovery program developed after flooding and other natural disasters during the summer.
Under the recovery program, he said, communities could access as much as $1 million within a couple of weeks to help with cleanup and repairs to infrastructure such as water lines. Elliott described the effort as an example of how state resources could help municipalities respond quickly after disasters.
Elliott also addressed criticism that some annual treasury reports had been missing from the state website. He said the reports were temporarily unavailable during a transition to a new website infrastructure, but had since been posted. He said they had been published on the former website before the transition.
On the state surplus, Elliott said decisions about allocating funds belong to the General Assembly, not the treasurer. He pointed to gas-tax relief and disaster assistance as examples of ways surplus funds had helped Hoosiers, while emphasizing that his office’s role was to manage investments and turn the returns over to lawmakers.
Elliott said local officials face the challenge of providing services as costs rise, including the expense of paving roads. He described county and municipal leaders as community members taking on public service and said decisions should reflect local needs.
He also criticized a lack of transparency around data-center proposals, saying residents may assume the worst when elected officials do not share information. Elliott said local communities should be able to decide whether to proceed with projects or impose a moratorium.
The interview also touched on the Republican Party’s replacement of its secretary of state nominee. Elliott said he had supported the change from Dave Morales to Max Engling, describing Engling as a strong candidate. He acknowledged that the replacement meant campaigning for a less familiar name, and said voters would decide whether the party had addressed the problem.
For the final days of the campaign, Elliott said his priority was traveling throughout Indiana, speaking with voters and seeking every remaining vote. Asked whether he was considering a run for governor, he said he was happy in his current job.
“I really, really like my job,” Elliott said.
