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Every two years, Indiana Republicans gather for their state convention to nominate candidates for statewide office. In midterm election years, delegates choose the party’s nominees for secretary of state, treasurer and state comptroller.
Unlike races for governor or Congress, these nominees are not selected through a statewide primary election. Instead, the decision is left to convention delegates.
This year, roughly 1,800 Republican delegates will cast votes to determine who will represent the party in November’s general election. While voters ultimately decide who holds these offices, delegates play a critical role in shaping the GOP ticket and influencing the party’s direction.
There are four types of delegates eligible to vote at the convention:
Automatic delegates: Members of the Indiana Republican State Central Committee, district officers and county officers automatically receive delegate status. They make up the majority of convention voters.
Elected delegates: These delegates are chosen by Republican voters during the May primary elections held every two years.
Appointed delegates: County party chairs may appoint delegates to fill vacancies.
Alternate delegates: Alternates are selected in case a delegate is unable to attend the convention and can step in to vote if needed.
Delegate votes have shaped the trajectory of Indiana politics before.
At the last convention in 2024, delegates narrowly chose former Noblesville pastor and current Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith as the party’s lieutenant governor nominee over Gov. Mike Braun’s preferred candidate, state Rep. Julie McGuire.
That dynamic is part of what makes state conventions so consequential. Candidates who may not enter as favorites can spend months building relationships with delegates and, with enough support, emerge with the nomination. In doing so, they can influence not only the outcome of an election but also the future direction and priorities of the party itself.