Elkhart, Indiana

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.

Elkhart County, Indiana — home to more than 80% of the world's RV production and long viewed as a bellwether for the national economy — is showing signs of softening after a pandemic-era boom. Manufacturing makes up more than half of the metro area's workforce, and a New York Times analysis found roughly a quarter of local jobs sit in industries targeted by early retaliatory tariffs. Community leaders are split on the effect of President Trump's tariff policy: some, including the local economic development CEO, say tariffs are pushing manufacturers to reshore supply chains, while others, including a local factory worker running for county council and the county GOP's vice chair, say tariffs and higher costs have dampened RV demand, contributing to layoffs, facility closures, and consolidation. An RV manufacturer in Bristol is set to close in September, cutting 105 jobs.

Beyond tariffs, the county is investing state redevelopment funds to retain young workers and has drawn a diverse, immigrant-heavy workforce. Politically, local leaders describe unusual bipartisan cooperation, even as tension grows with state government over property tax legislation ahead of the coming election.