Articles by Josh Lange

By Joshua Lange

As a writer, I want to start by stating my biases, I am running for the Penn Township Board as a Mishawaka Democrat. This article is my opinion, and I wholeheartedly believe Beau Bayh is the best candidate for the job of Indiana Secretary of State, here is why:

Beau Bayh is a 7th generation Hoosier who was raised by his father and former Governor, Evan Bayh. Beau attended Harvard and played on the lacrosse team. He graduated with a Juris Doctor Law degree. After obtaining his degree, Beau wanted to serve our country and joined the US Marines as an Officer. After 5 years, he was honorably discharged as a Captain.

Returning to civilian life, Beau Bayh worked as a law clerk for the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and is now an associate at MacGill Law. Like a true Hoosier, Beau wants to help fellow Hoosiers and has chosen the path of becoming a public servant running for office in 2026. Unlike the politics that is commonplace today, he has risen above negative mudslinging, focusing on the issues that actually affect our state like removing the political theater from the Secretary of State office, cutting excessive costs, making transparent fair elections, helping charter businesses and protect investors. Beau Bayh is honest and wants to build trust for Hoosiers. I encourage voters to read his policies and reach out to his campaign for direct questions because that shows the level of transparency that we need for trust.

The naysayers attack him with lines that “he is running because of political nepotism” which is far from the case. If he wanted to profit from his family name, he would not have joined the military or run for office where political machines try to destroy his reputation and credibility. Beau Bayh’s candidacy is putting the legacy of Birch and Evan Bayh on the line when he could have easily settled into a comfortable private-sector job such as becoming a lobbyist. He is serious, which is why he is enduring these attacks.

The negative campaigns against him went after the fact that he has not lived in Indiana that much in the past 10 years, which is because he is a young man who went to college and joined the Marines. He had to absentee vote in Indiana while at Harvard because a Juris Doctor degree takes years. In the Marine Corps, absentee voting is standard. Beau Bayh could have changed his residency and actively chose to be active politically in his home state despite the uphill battle he is facing in this election. An opportunist would have moved to a state where winning is easier.

If the only dirt is that his last name is Bayh and he voted absentee, then there is no dirt on him.

When I reached out to his campaign, he responded to my questions himself. I have never seen a candidate for a large campaign directly speak to people when they get emailed questions. He also was the only statewide candidate to appear on Dyngus Day in the City of Mishawaka. He stopped by De Amicis and spoke to Mishawakans directly. Most candidates treat Mishawaka and South Bend as the same, so if they visit South Bend, they never show up in Mishawaka. Beau Bayh recognized the Princess City and talked about the importance of speaking to all Hoosiers in the state.

As a young person, seeing him run has partially inspired me to run for office. I am proud to say that Beau Bayh’s Secretary of State campaign is the first one I have ever donated to because I believe in his message.

I ask all delegates to vote for Beau Bayh in the Democratic Convention in June and all Mishawakans vote for him on November 3rd for Secretary of State of Indiana so he can fix our state.

Beau Bayh holding ‘The Spirit of Mishawaka’ poster at the De Amicis Club in Mishawaka, IN (April 6th, 2026)