In 2009 Mitch Daniels needed to fill a vacancy on the Indiana Public Defender Commission — a group tasked with setting the standards and payment for public defenders. There are 11 people on the Commission, some appointed by the Senate, House, Supreme Court, and governor. At 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans, Daniels wanted to ensure the balance of power stayed in-check.
Daniels turned to Mark Rutherford, an attorney, policy wonk, and thoughtful Libertarian with the smarts and diligence to provide rational and responsible ideas. Mark has served on the Commission since 2007 and continues to serve as its chair.
Now he’s running for Indiana secretary of state.
A Libertarian secretary of state will make elections fairer
Hoosiers will vote this November for a senator, a representative, and many local races including a large IPS funding referendum in Indianapolis. We also vote for secretary of state, which has implications far into the future for our state and elections.
Mark Rutherford is the best candidate for secretary of state.
First, like Daniels did with the PDC, you should entrust your elections to the candidate without political baggage. The secretary of state oversees Indiana’s elections and certifies election results. Libertarian Mark Rutherford is the only choice for anyone who thinks the overseer of elections should favor neither Republicans nor Democrats.
A vote for Mark is also a vote against gerrymandering. The state will redistrict after the 2020 Census. Those maps pass through the secretary of state’s office. Ballotpedia rates none of Indiana’s nine House seats as competitive, yet our Senate race is consistently among the most competitive. Why the difference? U.S. Senate doesn’t have districts to be gerrymandered. Also, about a third of Indiana Statehouse seats have no opponent. With rigged districts, these races are over by the primary. Don’t get gerrymandered out of having a voice. Mark is the only choice for fair electoral maps.
Business services
If you’ve ever tried to start a business and have been confused by some complicated form, vote for Mark. The secretary of state oversees business entities and licensure in Indiana. If you’ve ever thought it was unnecessary to get a license to cut hair or found a report infuriatingly cumbersome to file, so does Mark.
Ballot access and your right to choose
The secretary of state race is the race that automatically puts political parties on ballots in Indiana. Secretary of state candidates that reach at least 2% of the vote earn their party automatic ballot-access statewide. Those that reach 10% give their parties major-party status, and that includes primaries. It also means many boards and commissions will have to seat more than just Republicans and Democrats.
Mark is already polling at 10% — the best showing for a third-party candidate in recent history.
Expand your choices on the ballot. The Libertarian Party of Marion County encourages you to vote for Mark Rutherford for secretary of state.
Mark is by far the most qualified candidate running for secretary of state. He’s a smart and bold choice for Hoosiers of any background concerned with true fairness and individual protections in our elections and business laws.
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