Knox County Clerk David Shelton, announced today that he is officially seeking the Republican nomination for Indiana Secretary of State at the 2026 Indiana Republican State Convention.
Shelton first ran for Secretary of State in 2022, launching his campaign just three months before the Indiana Republican State Convention. Despite the late start, he quickly gained momentum, earning public endorsements from 63 Republican county clerks and capturing 18% of the vote on the first ballot in a competitive four-way race. Although Diego Morales secured the nomination on the second ballot, Shelton’s strong showing established him as a respected voice for principled, professional election leadership.
Since then, Shelton says that contrast has only grown sharper.
Incumbent Secretary of State Diego Morales has drawn criticism for awarding no-bid contracts, hiring a family member to a six-figure role, and using taxpayer dollars on luxury vehicle purchases and international travel — all of which prompted bipartisan pushback and legislative reforms aimed at curbing his office’s authority.
You can hear Shelton in the audio above. The conversation runs for about nine minutes.
