Indiana’s 6th Congressional District House Race 2026

Muncie, Indiana Mayor Dan Ridenour announced he will retire when his current term ends, effective December 31, 2027, and will not seek re-election. In a lengthy statement, Ridenour said the decision was primarily driven by his health, after being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, a condition that sidelined him from his duties for several months before he returned to work in July. He said he wanted to announce his retirement then but held off until after the 2027 budget process.

Ridenour, who has served the city as councilor or mayor since 2004 and was elected mayor in 2020 following predecessor Dennis Tyler's bribery conviction, cited accomplishments including debt reduction, population growth, new fire stations and police staffing improvements. His tenure recently drew criticism over a failed "In God We Trust" police and fire vehicle decal proposal. Ridenour said he also wants more time with his wife, four children and six grandchildren, pledging to keep working through the remainder of his term.

Muncie, Indiana city leaders are debating a proposal to place "In God We Trust" decals on all police and fire department vehicles, a plan that drew more than a dozen public comments at a Monday council meeting, most opposed. Critics questioned the phrase's inclusiveness and argued the city, already facing budget losses tied to the 2025 Senate Enrolled Act 1, should not spend money on the decals. Council President Jeff Green, who authored the ordinance, said the cost would be minimal but could not say how many vehicles would be affected. Mayor Dan Ridenour voiced support, while council member Sara Gullion called the timing "tone deaf" given the city's finances.

The council split 5-4 along party lines to send the measure to a final vote next month. Legal experts note the phrase has withstood past First Amendment challenges, including *Town of Greece v. Galloway* and *New Doe Child #1 v. Congress*, and that a 2022 Supreme Court shift has made similar religious-speech measures by local governments more likely to survive constitutional scrutiny, even as debate over their wisdom continues.

ed."In God We Trust" decals on all city police and fire vehicles, voting 4-3 against Proposed Ordinance No. 18-26 at a Monday night meeting. Only seven of the council's nine members were present, as members Ro Selvey and Brandon Garrett were absent; Selvey's absence was attributed to a medical issue. The narrow attendance left a one-vote margin deciding the outcome, after an earlier meeting had split the council 5-4 along partisan lines.

Council President Jeff Green had introduced the ordinance but declined to say who had urged him to propose it. Critics argued the measure was inappropriate given Muncie's financial troubles and raised concerns about separation of church and state. Mayor Dan Ridenour told the council that anonymous donors had offered to cover the cost of the decals so taxpayers would not bear the expense, but councilors pressed him on the timing of those offers before ultimately rejecting the proposal.

A new Free Press Indiana/Bellwether Research poll shows Democrat Beau Bayh leading Republican Max Engling in the race for Indiana Secretary of State, 43% to 35%. Libertarian Lauri Shillings drew 6% and Lincoln Party candidate Greg Ballard, a former Indianapolis mayor, drew 5%, with 11% undecided. The race drew heightened attention after incumbent Diego Morales lost his GOP renomination bid at the party's June convention. Bayh led in most regions, including Indianapolis and the Chicago/South Bend/Elkhart/Lafayette area, while Engling performed best around Fort Wayne. Bayh also posted the highest favorability rating among the four candidates, while more than 40% of voters said they had never heard of Engling, Ballard or Shillings.

The same survey of 896 registered voters, conducted Oct. 8-11 with a margin of error of ±3.4%, found Democrat Jessica Bailey narrowly ahead in the State Comptroller race and Republican Daniel Elliott leading in the State Treasurer contest. Indiana's general election is Nov. 3, with absentee ballot applications due Oct. 22.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and the state Republican Party are committing $1 million to a statewide ad buy backing GOP secretary of state candidate Max Engling, as the race draws unusual national attention. The money is split evenly between Braun's gubernatorial campaign account and the Indiana Republican Party, with two new ads set to air by the end of the week answering ads already run by Democrat Beau Bayh.

The race also features Greg Ballard, a former Republican Indianapolis mayor running as an independent under a new "Lincoln Party," and Libertarian Lauri Shillings. Bayh, son of former U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, has significantly outraised Engling, who entered the race in May with backing from U.S. Sen. Jim Banks after incumbent Diego Morales lost the GOP nomination amid scandal. A University of Virginia political analysis recently reclassified the contest as a "toss up," calling it possibly the most competitive secretary of state race in the country this year. The election is set for Nov. 3.

Four candidates for Indiana secretary of state met Wednesday night in their first debate ahead of the November race to lead the office overseeing the state's elections. Democrat Beau Bayh, Lincoln Party candidate Greg Ballard and Libertarian Lauri Shillings largely aligned on voter ID, election security and mail-in voting, while Republican Max Engling — chosen at the GOP convention over embattled incumbent Diego Morales — stood apart, notably as the only candidate to back the SAVE Act and the only one not to question the Indiana Recount Commission's disputed ruling in a close state Senate race.

Bayh, Ballard and Shillings all pledged to audit the office if elected to probe alleged misuse under Morales; Engling declined to commit. All four agreed on the need for transparency in business registration and said they intend to serve full four-year terms. A second debate is set for Oct. 7.

Following a FOX59/CBS4 debate, Democrat Beau Bayh and Republican Max Engling agreed on core Secretary of State issues like voter participation and prosecuting illegal voting, but split sharply on investigating current officeholder Diego Morales and on dueling campaign ad attacks. Engling called Bayh's investigation approach unserious, favoring an inspector general-led review, and said Bayh strayed into unrelated issues; he also said he's considering a defamation suit over Bayh's ads. Bayh countered that Engling can't differentiate himself from Morales and pledged to personally pursue accountability. The race, triggered by Morales's convention loss, has drawn heavy spending ahead of Indiana's Nov. 3 election.

Independent candidate Greg Ballard, a former Republican Indianapolis mayor now running in Indiana's secretary of state race, has called on the state legislature to make the office nonpartisan. His proposal would bar the secretary of state from endorsing candidates, fundraising for parties, holding party leadership roles, or speaking at political events, while still allowing a sitting officeholder to campaign for reelection and retain voting and party-registration rights. Ballard urged the other three candidates to pledge to avoid partisan activity if elected.

Republican candidate Max Engling's campaign did not directly address the proposal, noting existing law already bars using the office for campaign functions. Democrat Beau Bayh's campaign rejected it, arguing officeholders shouldn't lose personal political rights. Libertarian Lauri Shillings also declined, saying it would force her to give up party membership, and instead proposed recusing herself from matters involving candidates she has backed.

The debate follows past controversies, including Republican Todd Rokita's taxpayer-funded mailers as secretary of state and current officeholder Diego Morales' attendance at a Republican National Committee convention as a delegate.

Following a FOX59/CBS4 debate between Democrat Beau Bayh and Republican Max Engling, Indiana's minor-party Secretary of State candidates, Lincoln Party's Greg Ballard and Libertarian Lauri Shillings, gave their own reactions. Both were excluded from the debate after polling below 10% support, with Bayh and Engling drawing the bulk of backing in a prior Free Press Indiana poll. Ballard and Shillings criticized the major candidates' sparring, pledged to avoid negative campaigning, and said they would have refused to share voter rolls with the federal government. Both also questioned the U.S. Department of Justice's plan to send election monitors to Marion and Lake counties for the midterms. Election Day is November 3, with early voting already underway.