Blythe Potter

Blythe Potter (Democratic Party) is running for election for Indiana Secretary of State. She declared candidacy for the Democratic convention scheduled on June 6, 2026.^[source]

Potter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Blythe Potter was born in Beech Grove, Indiana. She served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 2002 to 2012. She earned a high school diploma from Franklin Central High School. She attended Ball State University, earned a bachelor's degree from Siena Heights University in 2016, and earned a graduate degree from Siena Heights University in 2018. Her career experience includes working as a small business owner.^[1]

Elections

2026

General election

The primary will occur on June 20, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Democratic convention

Democratic convention for Indiana Secretary of State

Beau Bayh (D) and Blythe Potter (D) are running in the Democratic convention for Indiana Secretary of State on June 6, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Beau Bayh
		Blythe Potter

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Endorsements

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Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

Blythe Potter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Potter's responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Blythe Potter is a born-and-raised Hoosier, an Army Military Police Corps Veteran, mother, small business owner, and organizer seeking the Democratic Party nomination for Indiana’s Secretary of State in 2026. Blythe is also an Emerging Leaders Project, Hoosier Women Forward graduate, and a Precinct Chair who has been active in her Johnson County community for over 20 years.

Blythe understands what it feels like to be frustrated that our government at all levels is not working for Hoosiers. Blythe is sick and tired of insiders in Indy running this state for the benefit of special interests, not everyday Hoosiers.

Blythe sees many challenges: falling short in health outcomes, educational opportunities, support for seniors, and support for people with disabilities. But instead of addressing these problems, the Indy insiders are passing more tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations.

As someone who has been impacted by the failed status quo of the insiders in Indianapolis, Blythe wants to empower voters to elect candidates who will work for their best interests, not corporate donors. As your next Secretary of State, Blythe will work for all Hoosiers, focusing on working-class and underserved communities, to ensure that voter education and outreach are a priority in every county. Blythe will accomplish this by delivering comprehensive voter handbooks to all registered voters at their registered addresses and making them available online.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Improve voter outreach and education: Blythe Potter will work with County clerks to fund the production and distribution of voter handbooks before each election. These handbooks will be sent to all voters and include information on voting locations and times as well as brief, nonpartisan descriptions of individual ballot initiatives and candidates’ statements. This isn’t a new idea - many states already do this - but it will help inform and empower all Hoosiers.
Keep voter rolls clean without burdening legitimate voters: Blythe understands that we need to make sure our voter rolls are accurate and up-to-date. That occasionally requires removing voters who have moved, died, or are otherwise ineligible. But our current Secretary of State has approached this the wrong way.
Purging legitimate voters is not good government - it’s a backroom deal that gives more power to shadowy insiders rather than Hoosiers. Blythe will fix that.
Last-minute voter purges, as occurred in 2024 and prior elections, mean eligible voters have been removed without the opportunity to remedy the removal or update their registration before important elections. Blythe will work to ensure no voter is removed in the 6 months
Empower clerks: We have dozens of energetic and knowledgeable County Clerks who work hard to increase voter turnout but are hamstrung by a lack of State support. Blythe will work with these Clerks to fund pilot initiatives to boost turnout, so more registered voters have a chance to make their voices heard. Transparent and efficient government: SoS oversees several regulatory agencies. Blythe believes these agencies need to be far more transparent and efficient than they are today. Improving services for small business owners: Create a “one-stop shop” portal for Hoosiers applying for state licenses, permits, etc. Providing each applicant with a unique ID they can use to log in and check the status of their requests across SoS depts.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Voter suppression in Indiana is rampant. We need to make voting easier, not harder, for eligible voters who wish to cast a ballot. Blythe wants to work with the state legislature to allow ballot initiatives so Hoosiers, not electeds, after two legislative sessions, get to decide what they can vote on to change. Blythe would love to see Hoosiers have the opportunity to vote on removing straight-ticket voting, opting in to absentee ballots, disallowing the state and agencies from selling personal data as they do now, letting voters decide whether to have rank-choice voting, longer voting hours, registering to vote closer to elections, etc. The GOP supermajority has taken away many rights as taxpayers; it's time to give that power back.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

When we look at everything that is wrong in our state - health care, lack of opportunities, rolling back our rights - we cannot fix those things until we get people to vote. Indiana ranks 50th out of 51 for voter turnout, and the office of the Secretary of State can fix this by educating registered voters about elections. What's more unique than using our tax dollars to empower us as voters?! There is no better way to use our voice and to be heard than at the ballot box. If the SoS were to use access to registered voters to send each voter information about upcoming elections, it would allow Hoosiers to improve our state's metrics in quality of life, environment, walkability, and more!

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

It is tough to pick just one person, so I want to tell you the types of people I look up to; they aren't always named throughout history, and many have been forgotten or never recorded. I look up to people who don't give up when something they have worked for doesn't go their way. People who dig down deep for bravery in the face of significant challenges and fear, especially in politics. I look up to the women who spent decades getting justice from Jeffrey Epstein. I look up to all of the women, especially those in the BIPOC communities who fought for and still fight for freedom and equality. I look up to the real person who was Jesus, who stood up for women, the poor, the sick, and fought against the Roman Empire. Those are the people I want to be. They gave so much of themselves and their safety to humanity, and I want to honor that and continue their work.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Transparency, ethics, honoring their oath, and rebuilding trust in our government. Hoosiers have been abused and neglected by elected officials for far too long. Everywhere I go in Indiana, people are frustrated. Democrats, Republicans, Independents - they're frustrated because they understand that our state government is not working for them.

Instead, the insiders are calling the shots, and we're left with the crumbs. And that goes for our party too. We keep doing things the same way and expecting different results. It’s time for a change.

And so, how will I build a campaign? By bringing together all of those voters. We're going to harness the enthusiasm of new voters and people who haven't voted in a long time because they didn't think their vote mattered. And what we're going to tell these people is that not only does your vote matter, your vote is valued.

I have been an organizer and activist in the state for a long time, and I will continue to grow our coalition through hard work, a clear vision, and the support of people like you, dear reader. This is what grassroots, people-powered campaigning is.

We are living in unprecedented times, so there's absolutely no reason why it would be unprecedented for a candidate like me to win. I'm going to be spending every moment between now and November reaching out to Democrats, independents, and enlightened Republicans to build a winning coalition.

I'm going to talk and listen to independents and enlightened Republicans who have not supported Democrats, but they understand that the current leadership is failing them.

We also have to consider that almost 40% of registered voters in Indiana chose not to vote in 2024. I am using unconventional techniques and thinking outside the box to reach these voters. That's why I've been attending as many forums as I can: these voters need to know this campaign is happening and that I am their candidate.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

People over party and ethics over status quo. All elected officials, regardless of party affiliation, need to be able to be objective and consider the communities and Hoosiers who are the most underserved and underrepresented among us. Somewhere along the way, most elected officials have forgotten that this is a public service, not a winning lottery ticket. The Secretary of State needs to be able to handle Hoosiers' data responsibly and safely, administer elections that are safe, accessible, secure, and free, and provide the necessary resources for our business community, especially small businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to leave a legacy of showing those who may be underdogs, underserved, underrepresented, vulnerable, and marginalized that we can do hard things. I want to leave a legacy of caring for our community and putting people and money over politics. I want to be a piece of the puzzle that gets Indiana and America to a place that truly feels safe and livable, like we were told it was when we were younger.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I vividly remember 1990, when we went to war in Iraq (Desert Storm; I was eight years old), and Ross Perot running as a third-party candidate in 1992 (I was ten). I know that it is two events, but being in politics now, it is interesting how much I wanted Ross Perot to win! Not related, but my senior year in high school, I ran as a third-party candidate on recycling programs in the school and almost won class president!

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I babysat as a teenager for many years, and I also worked as a hostess and server at Stake n Shake with a work permit for about a year when I turned 14. After that, I taught kindergarten-level dance classes at the dance studio I grew up in unti lI graduated high school in 2000.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Another answer I hate to pick just one of, there are so many! I love books that challenge what I believe to be true and force me to see others' perspectives, making me feel uncomfortable and grow. The one that changed the way I view the world was The Half Has Never Been Told by Edward E. Baptist. A few other favorites include Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King, Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng, The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams, The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult, The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak, Northern Spy by Flynn Berry, anything by Liane Moriarty, Colleen Hoover, Ruth Ware, and usually the Reese Bookclub picks!

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Peggy Carter (aka Captain Carter or Agent Carter) from Marvel! She is a military soldier who literally fought Nazis. She operates inside systems that underestimate her and then she works to reshape them from the inside. She’s strategic, disciplined, and principled; all traits I identify with. When institutions fail, she doesn’t burn them down for sport. She fixes them so they serve people instead of egos. In the multiverse storylines, she literally became the female Captain America. I am a proud former Army Sergeant (E-5) and we enlisted personnel like to joke, "I was/am enlisted, I work(ed) for a living" (a military joke insinuating us enlisted folk aren't afraid to get our hands dirty and do the hard things while the officers watch). This is an "officer" title I can identify with and it reflects the way I view my race and involvement in politics because it honors those who are in leadership but also values the need for paradigm shifts and change within the way we do politics in Indiana and beyond.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Being taken seriously, as I am, as a woman. I have literally been told so many times in my life that because I'm (insert any stereotypical female-centered insult here), I cannot do what I had set out to do. I know that I also say this from a place of privilege as a white woman. Politics is no different, and if you are reading this, you likely know the obstacles I am facing in this race. Currently, I struggle to ensure my kids have a safe place to call home, to work in a career I love, and to spend what I feel is enough time with my family. I always try to ensure I have balance in my life, but that feels extra hard in our political climate and in the reality of Indiana in 2025, going into 2026. For context, I am writing this the day before Thanksgiving in 2025, which means I will not be able to edit this answer later.

What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?

Keeping our data safe, informing the voting public about elections, and ensuring county clerks have the support they need to hold free, fair, and safe elections.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

YES! The SoS oversees the INBiz website, where business owners go to get business registrations! I’m a small business owner. I applied for my LLC on the Secretary of State’s website in 2018. That site looks pretty much the same today. Diego Morales has failed to keep systems up to date and user-friendly for small businesses.

I will make the registration process easier for small business owners. And I’ll work to provide business owners with additional resources on permitting and updates they may need to stay compliant.

Finally, I’ll work with the Indiana Small Business Development Center to make sure that when business owners register, they are directed to the resources we provide for small businesses.

As a veteran, it would have been helpful to know when I registered my business that some programs support veteran and female business owners. I want to create those connections for Hoosiers in the future.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think it is VERY important that the office holders have experience voting in the state of Indiana and understanding what it is like to be a candidate in Indiana. I have been a municipal candidate, and I know how cumbersome it can be to complete the campaign finance forms municipal candidates use (all paper, unlike state candidates), and therefore know how we can better support those who run for local offices. I have also been a Precinct Chair, state delegate, and national delegate. As a precinct chair, I have spoken with my neighbors and community members, and I have heard the same thing over and over: no one is representing them. The establishment is in it for itself. I knew I had to step up and work to make significant changes in how we interact with politics in Indiana.

I know real change starts with voting and empowering people to run for all open seats.

I run a small business, and in the process of opening it, I had to work with my local town council and boards to obtain permits and zoning. I have had to complete state-required paperwork overseen by the SoS, and I have an MBA that taught me a lot about the financial and administrative skills I would need to be an elected official performing administrative duties. I know how to manage an organization and get the word out through marketing, social media, and outreach to boost turnout both as a business owner and a candidate; I can help future candidates as SoS in that capacity as well.

I will bring all of my political and professional experience to the office so we can start to have a government that works FOR the people.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

I spent eight years in the US Army Reserves in a Military Police Unit and was deployed to Iraq as a personal security detail (PSD) detachment (bodyguard) for the highest-ranking official in Iraq, so I know how to navigate politics and people in powerful government positions. I have also been an activist and organizer in Indiana and have personally confronted many elected Republicans in our state and federal offices regarding the terrible practices and voting records that harm Hoosiers. I am not afraid to stand my ground with men in politics, something that is not always easy for women.

I have been a municipal candidate, and I know how cumbersome it can be to complete the campaign finance forms municipal candidates use (all paper, unlike state candidates), and therefore understand how we can better support those who run for local offices. I have also been a Precinct Chair, state delegate, and national delegate. As a precinct chair, I have spoken with my neighbors and community members, and I have heard the same thing over and over: no one is representing them.

I run a small business, and in the process of opening it, I had to work with my local town council and boards to obtain permits and zoning. I have had to complete state-required paperwork under the SoS's oversight, and I have an MBA that taught me a lot about the financial and administrative skills I would need to be an elected official performing administrative duties. I know how to manage an organization and get the word out through marketing, social media, and outreach to boost turnout both as a business owner and a candidate; I can help future candidates as SoS in that capacity as well.

I will bring all of my political and professional experience to the office so we can start to have a government that works FOR the people.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Vote Common Good

Would a state ballot initiative process be good or bad for your state?

GOOD! I want to work with the state legislature when I am elected to finally allow Hoosiers to take advantage of ballot initiatives!

Candidates hear many personal stories from voters. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching or memorable?

I have heard so many memorable stories, but what stands out to me the most is how many of them have the same common thread and concerns; we are NOT being represented well by our (GOP) elected officials. There isn't enough accountability or transparency; they fear their voices aren't being heard, and their votes don't matter. They feel stuck in this cycle of political power grabs, where elected officials are there to benefit themselves rather than serve our communities. They feel like me. Many are living paycheck to paycheck, have lost WIC and SNAP, have to seek help from family to pay bills and feed their kids, and have to put daycare on credit cards because they got furloughed by the state. Therefore, they "make too much" for unemployment even though it has been nearly a year now.

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

Again, why just one?! I am proud of so much, but mostly of my desire to be a lifelong learner, to keep trying to be a role model, however imperfect, and to persevere. I have made it to 43, I have been married for almost 13 years (marriage/cohabitation is NOT always easy!), I have given birth to my daughter in a scary reality, and I continue to have faith in humanity even when it would be easier to be cynical. I am proud to be where I am and doing what I'm doing, and that is better than anything I could ever ask for.

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Campaign finance summary

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Indiana Secretary of State

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Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 13, 2026

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 13, 2026

[1]

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Blythe Potter

Contents

Biography

Elections

2026

General election

Democratic convention

Democratic convention for Indiana Secretary of State

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

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