Lauri Shillings, a Libertarian candidate for Indiana Secretary of State, is campaigning on a platform that emphasizes improved online services for Hoosiers and a skepticism toward increased voter scrutiny. Shillings, who identifies as a working-class individual with a background in graphic design and entrepreneurship, aims to bring a “homegrown” perspective to statewide office.
Drawing on her design and business experience, Shillings has proposed an overhaul of the secretary of state's website. She seeks to modernize campaign finance functions and business services, making it easier for Hoosiers to find information on candidates, their donors, and post-election audits, according to Shillings. She believes that improving public access to this information could enhance the public’s perception of election security.
Shillings also targets the state’s business portal, IN BIZ, with a goal of making it more navigable for small business owners. She suggests implementing artificial intelligence for basic help outside standard business hours. Her own experience running a business late at night, after her day job and household duties, informed this proposal, as she expressed frustration with the lack of support during non-business hours.
Addressing current debates on election integrity, Shillings stated that “checks and balances in place currently” are sufficient, noting “very little voter fraud in the last 10 years.” She characterized recent pushes for expanded scrutiny of citizenship in voting as a “false narrative to slam in an immigration policy” that she believes is not needed in Indiana, citing the effectiveness of the state’s existing voter ID law. This position contrasts with the actions of departing officeholder Diego Morales, a Republican, who worked with the GOP-led Legislature to increase scrutiny and revealed last year that his office provided detailed voter information to federal authorities. A subsequent federal review, announced by Morales and Attorney General Todd Rokita, found 165 noncitizens had registered to vote in Indiana and 21 had cast ballots.
Shillings describes herself as a “working-class person” who has “never held less than two jobs.” She currently works as a creative director for the University of Indianapolis and previously held a third position as an adjunct professor at Ivy Tech Community College, which she gave up to campaign. Her parents were first responders, with her father serving as chief of Coal Creek Fire and Rescue for about three decades across more than 50 years in the field. Shillings holds an associate degree in visual communications from Ivy Tech and a bachelor’s degree in community and nonprofit leadership from the University of Indianapolis. While her family has resided in Montgomery County since 1824, Shillings now lives in Hamilton County.
Her involvement with the Libertarian Party began a decade ago, amid Donald Trump’s entry into national Republican politics, when she “became really invested in how leadership in our government is supposed to be.” Shillings stated she had never been a straight-ticket voter, always casting her ballot for the “best person for the job.” Her partner, Danny Lundy, who is now her campaign manager, invited her to Libertarian events, leading to her deeper involvement. Shillings has since volunteered her graphic design skills, including serving as the “primary source” for two-time Libertarian gubernatorial nominee Donald Rainwater’s social media designs and branding, according to Libertarian Party of Indiana Chair Stephanie Dasbach. She has chaired the Libertarian Party of Hamilton County since 2020 and served as the state central committee’s 5th congressional district representative since 2023. This is her second campaign, following an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 2024. Mark Rutherford, a longtime Libertarian who has known Shillings for over a decade, has observed her progression “from just being a volunteer” to “being the face of the party.”
The secretary of state contest holds particular significance for minor parties like the Libertarians, as it is considered a “ballot access race.” To secure their party’s right to select candidates for automatic listing on the general election ballot, minor party candidates must earn 2% of the statewide vote. The Libertarian Party has maintained this status since clearing the 2% mark in the 1994 election, according to Dasbach. While the party has not yet cracked the 10% threshold required to trigger state-funded primary elections, Dasbach expressed confidence that Shillings would maintain the 2% threshold, especially against independent candidate Greg Ballard. An independent poll released in the race so far showed Shillings with 6% support and Ballard at 5%, indicating potential for the Libertarian Party to maintain its ballot access and possibly attract “protest votes” from Hoosiers dissatisfied with the Republican and Democratic parties, Dasbach noted. The secretary of state’s office oversees elections, securities, auto dealer, and business services statewide.
