Secretary of State candidate pledges no negative campaigning
INDIANAPOLIS - Independent Indiana Secretary of State Candidate Greg Ballard today signed the Lincoln Party Statement of Principles and made a pledge to voters that aligns with those principles.
“Today I signed the Lincoln Party Statement of Principles because I see them as the start of a movement to bring civility and decency back into the political process,” said Ballard. “Service over Self would be particularly welcome in today’s environment. These Principles are derived from our nation's founding documents and incorporate the best practices of our most revered leaders."
The former two-term Indianapolis mayor also made the following pledge to voters so that Hoosiers know exactly what they will get from him:
- I won't run attack ads. My campaign will not produce, pay for, or approve ads attacking my opponents. I'll ask for your vote on my record and my plans for this office, nothing else.
- I'll only promise what this office can deliver. The Secretary of State runs Indiana's elections, handles business filings, and regulates securities. We will not be asking for federal legislation that interferes with Indiana’s ability to run its own elections, nor will we talk about other issues where the Secretary of State has no control. When involving the state legislature, we will talk only about those issues within the purview of the office of Secretary of State, such as making the Recount Commission and the Election Commission non-partisan.
- I'll tell you plainly what this job is. You deserve to know what you're voting for. I'll be straight with you about what the Secretary of State can do and what it can't. Voters have a right to the truth about the people asking for their vote and the truth about the office they're seeking. This pledge is my promise to give you both.
Today, Ballard’s campaign begins running its first statewide television ad to familiarize voters with his eight years as Indianapolis mayor, his 23 years in the Marine Corps that ended with his retirement as a lieutenant colonel, and his vision for the Secretary of State’s office.
Independent election analysts have also identified the race as competitive. Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the nonpartisan election forecast published by the University of Virginia Center for Politics, rates the Indiana Secretary of State contest a toss-up, noting that any of the top three candidates — including Ballard — could win.