On Oct. 6, Beau Bayh announced that he is seeking the Democratic nomination for Indiana Secretary of State. Bayh is a Harvard graduate and the son of former Indiana Governor and Senator Evan Bayh, but I do not believe he has the best intentions for our state.
As a first-generation college student and a political junkie who believes deeply in democracy, grassroots campaigns, government accountability and the promise of public service, I hope to see Blythe Potter as Indiana’s Secretary of State.
Potter is a small business owner from Bargersville, with roots in the U.S. Army Reserves and eight years as a member of the Military Police corps. I believe she is the true progressive candidate that Indiana deserves.
The Democratic Party at a state level usually throws their full support behind a candidate without acknowledging the other options. This leads to left-leaning individuals in a manufactured right-winged state being told to settle for the party-backed Democrat because “it’s better than the Republican.”
To that I say, what if the Democrat is funded by billionaire Republican donors?
In the video announcing his candidacy, Beau Bayh makes some great points. We have to tackle corrupt backroom deals and replace Diego Morales’ abuse of taxpayer dollars, but Bayh represents everything that is wrong with insider politics.
With one quick search on Indiana’s Election Division website, you can find that on October 20, Beau Bayh received $70,000 in campaign funds from two individuals.
$20,000 from a donor living in Indiana and $50,000 from William Oberndorf, a billionaire Republican donor from California who is the chairperson of the Alliance for School Choice.
According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Oberndorf is a frequent donor, including contributing hundreds of thousands to representatives in the U.S. House, such as Speaker Mike Johnson and Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. The fact that he has poured millions into right-wing causes and candidates across the country, particularly those who work to privatize education and weaken public schools, should make every Democrat in Indiana pause.
Why would Oberndorf donate $50,000 to a political candidate from Indiana who claims to be a Democrat wanting to tackle corruption?
One can only assume a backroom deal was cut.
How can we trust a so-called Democrat who takes huge checks from someone funding the national school choice movement — a movement that undermines public education, drains taxpayer dollars and deepens inequity? Indiana already faces controversy over expanding vouchers and diverting public funds to unregulated, private schools.
This is not progress; it’s clear privatization disguised as opportunity. And when Beau Bayh takes money from the man leading that charge, it’s clear whose side he is on.
When Bayh announced his candidacy, I was intrigued. As aforementioned, his father was the governor and a U.S. senator. And as someone who believes in fair elections, I was excited to see how the democratic primary would play out — even though I had always supported Blythe Potter.
But when I learned of Beau Bayh’s handouts — his inherited donor list and billionaire conservative donors — I lost all hope for a fair election.
The decision is easy: Blythe Potter. Her campaign has made it clear that she does not answer to billionaires. Her platform is not built on inherited wealth or politics; it’s powered by working-class Hoosiers who believe in all the things Beau Bayh claims to advocate for.
One thing in particular that I admire about Potter is her ability to talk openly about Indiana’s low voter turnout. She is not afraid to call it what it is: the result of a system designed to protect those in power. She is running to fix that, not benefit from it.
Beau Bayh’s donor list tells us his priorities. Blythe Potter’s story tells us hers. I am ready to back the candidate who represents working Hoosiers, not the one bankrolled by out-of-state billionaires with Republican agendas.
I have compiled an ongoing spreadsheet of Bayh’s top donors. While this is not completed, I will be adding to the list as his campaign continues to report these large contributions.
And to those who tell progressives to settle because what we have is worse, I have to tell you: Hoosiers are tired of “settling” for constant broken promises. Republicans have held every major statewide office since 2012 and we have not gotten anywhere since.
To the working-class: do not settle. Encourage your county party delegates to vote for Blythe Potter. We are tired of stolen tax dollars, insider politics, unjust backroom deals and being left behind in major decisions that affect our lives.