The Lead Off

• Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales remains in the GOP race despite losing key endorsements.
• U.S. Sen. Jim Banks and Attorney General Todd Rokita now support Max Engling.
• Morales says Republican convention delegates, not party leaders, should choose the nominee.

INDIANAPOLIS, IND. (WOWO) — The Indiana Capital Chronicle reports that Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales is refusing to drop out of the Republican primary race, even after losing endorsements from prominent GOP leaders, including U.S. Sen. Jim Banks and Attorney General Todd Rokita.

Morales emphasized Thursday that state convention delegates, rather than party insiders, should decide the Republican nominee for the November election.

“Delegates will decide who will be the Republican nominee for Indiana Secretary of State,” Morales said in a statement. “The decision belongs in the hands and only the hands of Republican convention delegates and I’m confident I’ll be renominated.”

Banks and Rokita shift support
Banks and Rokita announced Thursday morning that they no longer believe Morales is the strongest Republican nominee. Both now support Max Engling, a senior adviser in Banks’ Senate office, who formally entered the race Wednesday.

Rokita said he personally urged Morales to suspend his campaign. “I have spoken with Diego,” Rokita said in a statement. “The Secretary of State’s office is too important to be lost to out-of-touch, left-wing Democrats who put Hoosiers last. To that end, I have asked Diego to suspend his campaign. With so many self-inflicted wounds and issues, I now do not believe he can win in November.”

Banks, who had endorsed Morales in March, said Engling now has his “full and total support.” He added, “Max Engling is a key member of my team and will make a great Secretary of State. Max is a strong conservative who will keep our elections safe and secure, support Indiana small businesses and farmers, and he will win in November.”

Other Republican candidates
Alongside Morales and Engling, Knox County Clerk David Shelton and conservative activist Jamie Reitenour qualified for the GOP convention ballot, which will be held June 20. Shelton said he has been campaigning for months and criticized the last-minute support for Engling by party leaders.

“While others are entering this race at the last minute amid political scrambling and backroom pressure campaigns, I have spent months traveling Indiana, earning support county by county and delegate by delegate,” Shelton said.

Controversies and election scrutiny
Morales’ first term has faced scrutiny over a taxpayer-funded vehicle, international travel, and contracting decisions, which he has defended as related to election security and promoting Indiana businesses.

Banks cited allegations that a former Morales staffer, who resigned in April, was registered to vote in Tippecanoe County using a temporary driver’s license issued to noncitizens. “Diego worked hard and did many good things but he lied to me about hiring a non-citizen as his chief of staff who illegally registered to vote so I withdrew my endorsement and recruited a stronger candidate who can win in November,” Banks said.

Democratic candidate Beau Bayh’s campaign manager, Jack Tormoehlen, said Republicans tolerated Morales’ conduct until concerns grew about electability, asserting that party insiders are now attempting to influence delegate votes by supporting Engling.

The Takeaway

• Morales remains in the GOP race and urges delegates to determine the party nominee at the June 20 convention.
• Banks, Rokita, and other GOP congressional members have shifted support to Max Engling, citing concerns about Morales’ controversies and electability.
• Knox County Clerk David Shelton and activist Jamie Reitenour are also on the ballot, creating a multi-candidate contest for Republican delegates to decide.