What would be your top priority as Indiana secretary of state?

The most important responsibility of Indiana’s Secretary of State is overseeing our elections. Hoosiers deserve confidence that elections are administered fairly, professionally, and without partisan influence. Greg has made a clear commitment: he will not endorse, donate to, or raise money for candidates whose elections his office oversees.

Many voters are surprised to learn that the Secretary of State is currently allowed to campaign for candidates whose elections they help administer. Greg believes the person responsible for overseeing elections should be experienced and act with the highest level of independence and neutrality. He will ensure Hoosiers can trust that elections are being administered fairly, without political favoritism.

The current secretary of state, Diego Morales, has been scrutinized for awarding millions of dollars in no-bid contracts. What would your approach be to awarding contracts?

Contracts should be put out for bid. This is standard practice for effective, trusted governments. Also, all contracts will be put online. Citizens have a right to know how their money is being spent. I did that as the mayor of Indianapolis and of course, I would do that as the Indiana Secretary of State.

Since part of your job as secretary of state would include election security, do you think Indiana’s elections are already safe enough, or is there something different you would do to keep elections safe and secure?

Indiana’s elections have generally been secure but I believe it is because of the professionalism and tenacity of the county clerks. They have taken it upon themselves to train each other when the Secretary of State’s office should have taken the lead in organizing and training the clerks based upon the input of experienced active and retired clerks. I believe this is the most important step we could take to secure our elections. We just saw this summer how the outcome of an election was temporarily overturned due to a clerical error in a clerk’s office. It took the Indiana Supreme Court to ensure the legally cast votes were counted. I would work with the clerks to ensure there would be baseline standardized training for both the clerks and the poll workers. Our voters deserve this as do the clerks and the poll workers themselves.

With the negative attention the secretary of state office has been getting — including for no-bid contracts and salary increases — how would you go about repairing the office’s public perception?

I like to think my presence in the office would immediately contribute to an improved public perception plus there are also specific actions I would implement. My tenure as the mayor of Indianapolis provided a clear model of a public servant who served the people and not a party. The general consensus of our citizens was that I provided stability and integrity to that office. I would do the same as Indiana Secretary of State. I also would initiate an investigation into the office to root out all the improprieties that are known and those that are unknown at this time. I would ensure that all of the workers in that office knew they are working for the voters and not a party. I would become nonpartisan the moment I step into that office. I will not donate to, endorse, or fundraise for any candidate from any party. The Secretary of State should be completely out of politics once in office. Such actions will restore honor and integrity back into the office. It will become an office that the citizens of Indiana will be proud of.

What is your position on President Donald Trump’s efforts to create a nationwide list of verified eligible voters and implement restrictions on mail-in voting?

Since the founding of our country, it has been the duty of states to run their own elections. Any overtures from the federal government, other than nonpartisan assistance, should be unwelcome. The federal government should have no role in the maintenance of voter rolls; it is strictly the purview of the states. I would never have sent our Hoosier voter data to the federal government. It only adds to the concern for the security of our voter information. — We should be making it easier for people to vote. Any restriction on mail-in voting should be viewed with skepticism. People who want to restrict voting options are trying to choose their voters rather than having voters choose their elected officials.