The Libertarian Party of Indiana has nominated its 2026 general election slate, headlined by Lauri Shillings for Secretary of State, during its weekend convention in Fort Wayne.
Shillings, a Carmel resident, secured the nomination from party delegates at the convention, held March 20–22 at the Grand Wayne Convention Center. A small business owner and community leader, she previously ran for Congress in 2024 and has served as chair of the Libertarian Party of Hamilton County since 2021.
In accepting the nomination, Shillings emphasized restoring trust and professionalism to the office.
“The Secretary of State’s office belongs to the people of Indiana — not to political parties,” Shillings said. “Indiana doesn’t need a Secretary of State who treats the office as a political tool. We need someone who treats it as a public trust.”
The Indiana Secretary of State oversees statewide elections, business services, securities regulation, and official state records. Shillings said her campaign will focus on election transparency, modernizing business filings, and restoring public confidence in the office.
Her campaign outlined three priorities: protecting election integrity through transparency and independent oversight; improving government services to make them more efficient for businesses and residents; and restoring trust through accountability and ethical leadership.
The Secretary of State race is particularly important for the Libertarian Party’s ballot status in Indiana. State law requires a political party to receive at least 2% of the vote in a statewide race to maintain ballot access. A party that receives 10% qualifies as a major party.
Also nominated for statewide office was John Schick of Chesterton, who will run for State Auditor. Schick is a business consultant and former treasurer of the Libertarian Party of Indiana.
The party also fielded three candidates for Congress. William Henry of Elkhart will run in Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District, James Sceniak of Greenwood will run in the 7th District, and Tonya Hudson of Mitchell will run in the 9th District.
Under federal law, candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives must reside in the state they seek to represent, but they are not required to live within the specific congressional district.
In addition to its statewide and congressional candidates, the Libertarian Party nominated several candidates for the Indiana General Assembly, including Travis Gearhart (House District 4), Mark Renholzberger (House District 97), and Larry Mahaney (Senate District 45).
The Libertarian Party of Indiana has maintained ballot access in recent election cycles by surpassing the 2% threshold in statewide races. Party leaders say their goal in 2026 is to continue that trend while expanding voter support across the state.
The 2026 general election will take place on November 3, 2026.
