President Donald Trump is getting involved in Indiana’s secretary of state race.
Late Thursday, Trump announced his support for Republican candidate Max Engling for the position.
The secretary of state race has become one of the most watched races in Indiana this election cycle.
Thursday night Trump posted on social media, calling Engling a true MAGA warrior. “Dumocrats love to CHEAT, and Max will work tirelessly to safeguard Indiana's Elections,” the President wrote.
The president’s slate of endorsements of Republican challengers during Indiana’s primaries earlier this year led to a major loss for incumbent Republicans who had opposed Trump’s redistricting effort.
One recent poll put Democratic candidate Beau Bayh nearly ten points ahead of Engling, a surprising finding for a safely Republican leaning state.
Engling thanked the president for his endorsement and said he would be the only candidate who will ensure American elections are for American citizens.
It’s a claim other secretary of state candidates have have called “ludicrous."
Noncitizen voting has become a key issue for Engling during this election, something also pushed by President Donald Trump.
Engling has repeatedly argued that his opponents don’t take the issue seriously enough, pointing to a report outlining 21 instances of noncitizen voting across an uncertain period.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita this week announced his office would be filing felony charges against a Vigo County man who illegally registered and voted in several state elections.
Engling’s opponents have argued that while cases of noncitizen voting should be taken seriously, they aren’t prevalent enough to require a major overhaul of the state’s election security.
Contact Government Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org
