IN-SOS: Independent tops spring secretary of state fundraising, Democrat amasses general election war chest
Former GOP Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, now an independent candidate for Indiana secretary of state, led the field in springtime fundraising, according to second-quarter filings due to the state Wednesday — though Democrat Beau Bayh has far more cash on hand.
Ballard raised about $672,000 from April through June, and spent $746,000. He ended the period with just $26,000 on hand. He has since filed large contribution reports for an additional $40,000 in donations.
A significant chunk — almost $450,000 — came from Hoosiers for Competitive Elections, a political action committee formed last year to support independent candidates. Some of the larger donors to that entity are Anne Shane, John Mutz and Christina Ricks.
“This PAC is the equivalent of someone donating to the Republican or Democratic parties and then the parties giving money to a Republican or Democratic candidate,” said PAC chair Nathan Gotsch, who is also Ballard’s campaign manager. “Independents don’t have that built-in infrastructure, so we set up the PAC in advance of any independent candidates running this year to function in the same way.”
https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2026/07/16/independent-tops-spring-secretary-of-state-fundraising-democrat-amasses-general-election-war-chest/