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Paul Hager
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Paul Hager (Republican Party) ran for election for Indiana Secretary of State. He did not appear on the ballot for the Republican convention on June 18, 2022.
Hager completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Paul Hager was born in Charleston, West Virginia. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston in 1973. He earned a graduate degree from Indiana University in 1984. His career experience includes working as a computer scientist for the Navy.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: Indiana Secretary of State election, 2022
General election
General election for Indiana Secretary of State
Diego Morales defeated Destiny Scott Wells, Jeff Maurer, David Wetterer, and Andrew Straw in the general election for Indiana Secretary of State on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Diego Morales (R) | 54.1 | 999,893 |
 | Destiny Scott Wells (D)  | 40.2 | 742,624 | |
 | Jeff Maurer (L) | 5.7 | 104,519 | |
| David Wetterer (G) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 107 | ||
 | Andrew Straw (Disability Party) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 36 | |
| Total votes: 1,847,179 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic convention
Democratic convention for Indiana Secretary of State
Destiny Scott Wells advanced from the Democratic convention for Indiana Secretary of State on June 18, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Destiny Scott Wells (D) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican convention
Republican convention for Indiana Secretary of State
Diego Morales defeated incumbent Holli Sullivan and David Shelton in the Republican convention for Indiana Secretary of State on June 18, 2022.
Candidate | ||
 | Holli Sullivan (R) | |
| ✔ | | Diego Morales (R) |
| David Shelton (R) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Kyle Conrad (R)
- Paul Hager (R)
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for Indiana Secretary of State
Jeff Maurer advanced from the Libertarian convention for Indiana Secretary of State on March 5, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Jeff Maurer (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Campaign finance
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Paul Hager completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hager's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Retired from Civil Service 31 December 2020. Was Computer Scientist for US Navy. Have run for political office 4 time: Libertarian Party US House (1996, 1998), US Senate (2000) and Republican Party Indiana District 60 (2004). Focus of my campaign for Secretary of State is changing the voting system in Indiana to the ranked system known as Instant Round Robin - not to be confused with the system known as IRV. A video talk will be available soon.
Education background: University of Houston, BS Sociology 1973; Indiana University, MS Computer Science 1984.
- In voting, the majority must decide.
- Every legitimate vote MUST BE COUNTED
- Indiana needs a fair voting system
Systems and process - basically, how government works. For purposes of this campaign, the scientific discipline known as Social Choice Theory, which could also be called "voting science". It was developed by the 18th century French mathematician and scientist, the Marquis de Condorcet. This sounds rather obscure and nerdy but it is vitally important. The voting system ALWAYS FAILS US when there are more than three candidates or choices. This sort of thing happens a lot in political primaries. The inability of nearly all voting systems - including Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) has played a role in the failures of self-governing systems throughout history.
My focus is the responsibility of the Secretary of State in overseeing the election process in the state. Given my over 25 year interest and study in the field of Social Choice Theory (voting science) I have a unique perspective on this that I daresay no candidate for SoS in US appears to have.
I don't really think in these terms. That said, probably the most significant politician was Themistocles of Athens. I like to tell the story of how he told a lie in 483 BCE that arguably saved Western Civilization. Invite me to speak some time and I'll relate the story. One of the great historians was Thucydides, who wrote the Peloponnesian Wars. In fact, I'm a long-time student of history - I'm a big fan of the 14th Century Islamic historian, ibn Khaldun - he was an early systems thinker. Of course, Madison's contributions to the Federalist Papers has been very instructive. In fact, I'd recommend the debates on the Constitution generally, especially between anti-Federalist Robert Yates (writing as Brutus) and Madison. I think events have proven Yates' warnings to have been prophetic. That's enough for now.
I will have a video up soon that will discuss voting. I've reviewed a 5-minute rough cut and I think it looks pretty good. I have both a FB candidate site: https://www.facebook.com/Hager4SOSin2022. I also have a MeWe candidate site: https://mewe.com/p/paulhagerforindianasecretaryofstate
I'm a Burkean (as in Edmund Burke) in my views about the role of an officeholder. In essence, a representative is to exercise his/her judgement on behalf of constituents. This may sometimes involve the representative going against the popular view. Here's his quote on the subject: "Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays instead of serving you if he sacrifices it to your opinion." I will always be honest in terms of what I think and what I plan to do. I will always be open to a good counterargument, with an emphasis on the word "good".
I think I answered this. As I said previously, I consider myself a Burkean. In the office of SoS, I my background in computers, programming, and cybersecurity gives me an edge, particularly relating to maintaining the basic integrity of the voting system which is a very important issue for Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. The technical aspects of cybersecurity are well in line with the sorts of things I did for the Navy. I haven't been emphasizing this aspect of my skillset and maybe I should. I will say that I am not going to be snowed by representatives of companies pushing their voting /tabulating systems.
Already stated. My focus is on both the integrity of the voting system as well as adopting a voting system that will actually make the system work there are three or more choices. I will toss in a subsidiary interest. I've given a lot of thought to the problem of redistricting. If I'm elected to SoS AND am successful in getting Indiana to adopt Round Robin Voting, I think I'd like to talk about my game theoretical approach to redistricting, which I call Randomized Cake Cutting. I wrote an op-ed that appeared July of last year in the Bloomington Herald-Times. The title was A PROPOSAL FOR REDISTRICTING BASED IN GAME THEORY.
I will only serve one term. I will not seek another office. I will be a failure if I am unsuccessful in getting Indiana to adopt Round Robin Voting. However, I'm confident that if nominated by the GOP in the state convention in June and then elected to office in November that I'll be successful. I'm not important. My cause, which is adopting a truly fair voting system, is. If I can convince people this cause is important, they will elect me and we will all be successful in achieving the goal. And, if Indiana adopts Round Robin, I think it will spread throughout the US. I'll toss in that there is a Canadian MP named Ron McKinnon who is in the Liberal Party. He is also pushing Round Robin up there. I've actually had some exchanges with his office. A success in the US could help Canada make the change in voting system. Beyond that, look at the electoral mess in Israel or Proportional Representation systems generally. A success in Indiana that spreads throughout the US could solve political problems throughout the world. Frankly, I don't care about MY legacy. In a way, it is the legacy of the Marquis de Condorcet, one of the greatest minds of the 18th century or ever if you get right down to it. He died in prison, a victim of the Reign of Terror. Ironically, his ideas in social choice might well have avoided the excesses of the Reign of Terror. I'm not the important person - what is important is the idea and the cause.
Not the first event I remember but it was significant for the Human Race: launch of Sputnik on 4 October 1957. I was 6.
I don't have a single favorite. I mentioned both Thuycidides and ibn Khaldun. I read a lot of history. I like history of science and technology as well as more conventional political and biographical stuff. I've done a lot of wargames and simulation which derive from the same interest. I'm currently reading a book looking at two figures from the Civil War, Joshua Chamberlain and William Oates, who fought on opposite sides of the Battle of Little Round Top, 2nd day of Gettysburg. Another book on my list is a new look at Section 1 of the 14th Amendment by Prof. Randy Barnett and a co-author whose name eludes me at the moment. A very influential book I read around 30 years ago was also about Section 1 of the 14th, NO STATE SHALL ABRIDGE... by Michael Kent Curtis. Highly recommended.
I really don't think in those terms. This question sort of reminds me of elementary school when we got asked questions like, what animal would you like to be. My answer was "human being". Teachers didn't like that answer. I had to pick something not a human. OK, I said, Chimpanzee, because it's closest to human. I've learned a lot in the interim. Today I'd pick the bonobo. The Chimp is a truly vile creature and extremely violent.
I don't experience "ear worms". I do hear music though. As it happens a week or so ago, I was working out and started hearing the 2nd Movement of Ravel's String Quartet in F major - the pizzicato movement. Hadn't heard the piece in years. Actually, my only talent is music and it is the one I didn't pursue.
That's hard to say. I'm 71 so I've managed to live much longer than I expected. I'm social and enjoy being around people and discussing ideas. I think my biggest problem is that I say what I think and often am short on politesse. This has gotten me in trouble many times throughout my life. To be blunt, I'm a bit of a schmuck. By way of compensation, I'm very good at listening to the good argument and I don't mind being proven wrong. In fact, learning that I'm wrong about something is exactly as rewarding to me as learning something brand new.
Voting. Insuring the integrity of the system and working to introduce the only voting system that solves the problems that arise whenever three or more candidates appear on the ballot.
There are other responsibilities but my focus is on voting. Everyone knows the problems we've had in the past two elections. More to the point, there is a level of partisanship today that I don't think this country has seen since the Civil War. A major component of the polarization is actually a failure of the voting system, which forces binary choices. I talk about this some in the video, currently being edited. This video runs 20 to 25 minutes - I hope I've made it interesting and informative enough for people to sit through. I'm looking for it to be ready in early February.
In this case, no. However, I think a perspective on history and systems is essential. Also good communication skills. I guess the voters will have to render a judgment on whether I possess the latter.
With respect to the other candidates in both parties, the SoS in Indiana has traditionally operated as a stepping stone to higher statewide office - typically Governor. I am running for the sole purpose of convincing Hoosier citizens, their representatives in the State Legislature, and the Governor that Indiana MUST HAVE Round Robin voting. I have no higher aspiration. I have no intent to run for any other office and I expect, if elected, to serve only one term. I'm purely an issue candidate.
I'm really not a joke teller. My humor is situational and observational.
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See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 3, 2022
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