Ex-Pence aide gets GOP nod to run for secretary of state
Ex-Pence aide gets GOP nod to run for secretary of state
Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, shakes a hand at the state GOP Convention, Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Indiana Secretary of State Holli Sullivan greets well-wishers at the state GOP convention on Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Indianapolis. Sullivan failed to get the party’s nomination to run in the fall election, losing Saturday to a challenger who has called for more voting restrictions and embraced former President Donald Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, speaks at the state GOP Convention at the Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum in Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, shakes the hand of campaign worker Jason Miner at the state GOP Convention, Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, attends the state GOP Convention at Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Norma Holm, of Hammond, chats with Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, at the state GOP Convention, Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Secretary of State Holli Sullivan shows a Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), during a press conference Thursday, March 17, 2022 at the Indiana Statehouse. Indiana Republicans on Saturday, June 18, will nominate their Secretary of State candidate. (Kelly Wilkinson/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, does a news conference at the state GOP Convention, Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Secretary of State Holli Sullivan shows a Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), during a press conference Thursday, March 17, 2022 at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. Indiana Republicans on Saturday, June 18, will nominate their Secretary of State candidate. (Kelly Wilkinson/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, then advisor and special assistant representing Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, speaks to the 97 new American citizens sworn in during a naturalization ceremony on Constitution Day, on Sept. 17, 2015 at the Indiana War Memorial’s Pershing Auditorium in Indianapolis. Indiana Republicans on Saturday, June 18, 2022 will nominate their Secretary of State candidate.(Charlie Nye/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, shakes a hand at the state GOP Convention, Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, shakes a hand at the state GOP Convention, Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Indiana Secretary of State Holli Sullivan greets well-wishers at the state GOP convention on Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Indianapolis. Sullivan failed to get the party’s nomination to run in the fall election, losing Saturday to a challenger who has called for more voting restrictions and embraced former President Donald Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Indiana Secretary of State Holli Sullivan greets well-wishers at the state GOP convention on Saturday, June 18, 2022, in Indianapolis. Sullivan failed to get the party’s nomination to run in the fall election, losing Saturday to a challenger who has called for more voting restrictions and embraced former President Donald Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, speaks at the state GOP Convention at the Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum in Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, speaks at the state GOP Convention at the Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum in Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, shakes the hand of campaign worker Jason Miner at the state GOP Convention, Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, shakes the hand of campaign worker Jason Miner at the state GOP Convention, Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, attends the state GOP Convention at Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, attends the state GOP Convention at Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Norma Holm, of Hammond, chats with Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, at the state GOP Convention, Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Norma Holm, of Hammond, chats with Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, at the state GOP Convention, Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Secretary of State Holli Sullivan shows a Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), during a press conference Thursday, March 17, 2022 at the Indiana Statehouse. Indiana Republicans on Saturday, June 18, will nominate their Secretary of State candidate. (Kelly Wilkinson/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Secretary of State Holli Sullivan shows a Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), during a press conference Thursday, March 17, 2022 at the Indiana Statehouse. Indiana Republicans on Saturday, June 18, will nominate their Secretary of State candidate. (Kelly Wilkinson/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, does a news conference at the state GOP Convention, Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, the GOP pick for Indiana’s Secretary of State, does a news conference at the state GOP Convention, Indiana Farmer’s Coliseum, Indianapolis, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Robert Scheer/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Secretary of State Holli Sullivan shows a Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), during a press conference Thursday, March 17, 2022 at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. Indiana Republicans on Saturday, June 18, will nominate their Secretary of State candidate. (Kelly Wilkinson/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Secretary of State Holli Sullivan shows a Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), during a press conference Thursday, March 17, 2022 at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. Indiana Republicans on Saturday, June 18, will nominate their Secretary of State candidate. (Kelly Wilkinson/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, then advisor and special assistant representing Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, speaks to the 97 new American citizens sworn in during a naturalization ceremony on Constitution Day, on Sept. 17, 2015 at the Indiana War Memorial’s Pershing Auditorium in Indianapolis. Indiana Republicans on Saturday, June 18, 2022 will nominate their Secretary of State candidate.(Charlie Nye/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
Diego Morales, then advisor and special assistant representing Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, speaks to the 97 new American citizens sworn in during a naturalization ceremony on Constitution Day, on Sept. 17, 2015 at the Indiana War Memorial’s Pershing Auditorium in Indianapolis. Indiana Republicans on Saturday, June 18, 2022 will nominate their Secretary of State candidate.(Charlie Nye/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Secretary of State Holli Sullivan failed to get the Republican Party’s nomination to run in the fall election, losing to a challenger Saturday who has called for more voting restrictions and embraced former President Donald Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen.
GOP delegates nominated Diego Morales, who worked in the governor’s office when Mike Pence led the state. He overcame criticism about twice leaving jobs in the secretary of state office after being written up for poor work performance.
Morales defeated Sullivan and another candidate, getting a majority of ballots during a second round of voting.
The secretary of state oversees statewide policies for elections, which are run by county officials.
Morales has called for cutting the state’s 28-day early voting period in half, requiring new voters to prove their U.S. citizenship when registering and creating an “election task force” to investigate “shenanigans.”
Sullivan, a former state lawmaker from Evansville, was appointed secretary of state in March 2021 by Gov. Eric Holcomb after Connie Lawson resigned after nine years to focus on her health and family.
In November, Morales will face Destiny Scott Wells, an Indianapolis attorney and Army Reserve intelligence officer who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Libertarian candidate Jeff Maurer will also be on the ballot.
