2026 election for Indiana Secretary of State
Secretary of State · Indiana
Beau Bayh (D) won with 51.9% of the vote, defeating Max Engling (R) by 9.2 points, flipping a seat Republicans held.
Source: Indiana Election Division unofficial results; race call: civicAPIUpdated Nov 7, 2026, 1:21 PM ET
Where the race moved
Against the 2024 presidential vote
Every county, 2024 to 2026
Each dot is a county, sized by votes cast and colored by who carried it in 2026. Dots above the line moved toward Bayh compared with the 2024 presidential vote; 92 of 92 did. The largest shift among the bigger counties: Vigo, +36.4 points.
Source: civicAPI county results (unofficial); 2024 president: MEDSL precinct returnsUpdated Nov 7, 2026, 1:34 PM ET
The seat's recent races
Source: Past results: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
By county
Show 84 more
Bar: share of the state's vote. Shift: change in margin from the 2024 presidential vote, + toward Democrats.
Source: civicAPI county results (unofficial); 2024 president: MEDSL precinct returnsUpdated Nov 7, 2026, 1:34 PM ET
Polls against the result
The final average had Bayh ahead by 6.8. Bayh won by 9.2: a 2.4-point miss toward Republicans.
- Poll with Bayh ahead
- Poll with Engling ahead
- Final polling average
- Result
| Pollster | Dates | Sample | Bayh | Engling | Margin | Adjusted | Miss vs result | Grade | Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantus InsightsR-sponsored | Oct 19–Oct 21 | 757 LV | 42 | 39 | D+3 | D+6.5 | −6.2 | — | quantusinsights.org ↗ |
| Bellwether Research | Oct 8–Oct 11 | 896 LV | 43 | 35 | D+8 | D+9.4 | −1.2 | — | fpinews.org ↗ |
| Tarrance Group for Hoosier Leadership for AmericaR-sponsored | Sep 27–Sep 30 | 600 LV | 37 | 38 | R+1 | D+4.4 | −10.2 | A+ | indypolitics.org ↗ |
| Schoen Cooperman Research for an insider in the Bayh campaignD-sponsored | Sep 1–Sep 3 | 605 LV | 42 | 36 | D+6 | D+5.4 | −3.2 | B− | indianacapitalchronicle.com ↗ |
Adjusted: after correcting for the pollster's house effect and likely-voter screens. Miss: the poll's margin minus the result; + means the poll leaned Democratic. Grade: the pollster's accuracy in past elections, A+ to D (pollster ratings).
Source: Each poll's release, via Wikipedia poll listsUpdated Oct 21, 2026
Pre-election forecast (final, Nov 3)
Our model's last run before Election Day, Nov 3, 2026. It no longer updates.
- Beau Bayh
- 35%
- Max Engling
- 65%
- Projected margin
- R+2.8
The candidates
Attorney and son of former Senator Evan BayhMax Engling (R)
Political aide and candidate for IN-05 in 2024
Also on the ballot: Greg Ballard (Libertarian), 3.6%; Lauri Shillings (Libertarian), 1.9%; Andrew Delano (Other party), 0.0%
Also on this ballot here
| Treasurer | R+2.1 |
Results within this state. Source: Results and race calls: Indiana Election Division (unofficial)Updated Nov 7, 2026, 1:21 PM ET