Lauri Shillings

Lauri Shillings was born in Indiana. She earned an associate degree from IvyTech Community College and a bachelor's degree from the University of Indianapolis in 2023. Her career experience includes working as a graphic designer, business owner, adjunct professor, and director. She has been affiliated with the Libertarian Party of Indiana, Hamilton County Libertarian Party, AIGA, and American Marketing Association.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’m a Hoosier, a community leader, and a service-minded problem solver who believes trust is earned through integrity and consistency. I’ve built my career working in public-facing institutions and leading teams where transparency, accountability, and follow-through matter every single day. I’m also a small business owner and a longtime advocate for citizen engagement, which means I understand both the responsibility of public service and the frustration everyday people feel when systems don’t work the way they should. At my core, I value fairness, personal responsibility, and the idea that government exists to serve people.

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?

Restore Trust Through Neutral Leadership. Indiana’s Secretary of State office should belong to the people, not to a political party or a personal agenda. The role is to safeguard elections, maintain accurate records, and serve businesses and citizens with fairness and consistency. That requires neutrality, transparency, and respect for process. I am running to restore trust in this office by ensuring it operates independently, professionally, and with the understanding that public service is a responsibility, not a platform for politics.Competence Over Chaos. The Secretary of State oversees critical systems that affect every Hoosier, from elections to business filings to official state records. These systems should be efficient, accurate, and easy to navigate. When government processes are mismanaged or overly politicized, it creates confusion, wastes resources, and erodes confidence. My focus is simple: make the office function smoothly, communicate clearly, and manage operations with the discipline and professionalism Hoosiers expect.Accountability for Power. Public officials must be held to the same standards they expect from citizens and businesses. Transparency in spending, ethical decision-making, and openness to oversight are not optional. These ideas are foundational to good governance. If elected, I will ensure that the Secretary of State’s office operates with clear accountability and measurable integrity. Hoosiers deserve leadership that welcomes scrutiny, follows the rules, and treats public trust as something to protect, not something to exploit.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am most passionate about civic engagement and participation. I believe that politics should not be seen as something for political insiders, rather something that citizens should educate themselves about and reclaim. The power of our government has been taken away from you - and we need to reclaim it.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a life-long Hoosier with working-class roots who has become exhausted by the disconnect between our federal government and its people. I have over 20 years of leadership experience in business ownership, and career experience in media, marketing, and educational organizations. Lauri learned from a very young age the value of civic service and dedication to community. Her wish is to represent regular voters and their needs, not corporations, life-long politicians, or the elite.

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?

Fiscal Responsibility by:

Implementing sound financial management practices to maintain balanced budgets.

Advocate for cutting spending on programs that do not directly benefit our population as a whole.

Refuse special interests lobbying that try to gain favor through government contracts.

Implement a strategy to balance the national budget and reduce national debt.Community Health and Wellness that includes: Affordable and accessible healthcare for all.

Ensure that healthcare decisions are not at the discretion of the government, religious groups, or insurance stockholders.

Support the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana.

Guarantee comprehensive healthcare access, including women's health services.Individual Choice:

Individuals engaging in activities that may run counter to our personal beliefs. Outside of obvious criminal offenses such as assault, theft, or murder, it is not the role of the government in a free society to prohibit such behavior, even when the majority wants it to be.

For this reason, activities such as abortion, drug use, education, religious beliefs, and personal defense, are the decisions of individual choice and personal bodily autonomy.

If you are not hurting anybody or taking their stuff- the government should stay out of it. Your life is your life. It is not the government's job to tell you how to live it.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Reducing governments role in your every day live.

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

I look up to leaders that care about people, and those that foster a culture of learning, creativity, and improvement. Most recently, I have been deeply inspired by Brene Brown and her research on the impact of courage, vulnerability, and bravery on personal growth and leadership.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

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

Integrity, and servant leadership by serving their voting public, not themselves.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am determined to accomplish my goals, and want others to succeed along with me. I have fostered a lifetime of continued education in leadership styles, design for problem solving, and the study of sociology to improve my view on why society behaves as it does. I have a keen interest in what patterns of pressure influences human behavior. I understand that one setback doesn't mean failure, it means I have learned one wrong way to accomplish a goal- and there are dozens of ways that It could absolutely still go right.

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

Passing legislation that benefits the voters in my district. Reduction of government spending at every opportunity to reduce the tax burden on every citizen, and reducing our national debt.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to be remembered as a woman that got things done.

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

I remember that there was a bicentennial parade in my tiny hometown of Wingate, Indiana in 1976. I remember having a special half dollar given to me and at the time, I felt rich for having it.

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

My very first job was serving coffee to local farmers early in the morning when I was 14. I kept that job for the summer before I entered high school.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Dare to Lead by Brene Brown. It is a great guide to living your values and never sacrificing yourself in the pursuit of your goals.

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

Arya Stark. She never gave up.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

'Lose Control' by Teddy Swims

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

Overcoming poverty through hard work, education, and tenacity.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The U.S. House of Representatives has frequent elections, allowing for the opportunity for new representation on a regular basis. It also has the constitutional power to control the amount of taxation revenue, all funding policy must originate in the House.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think that it would depend on each individuals skill set in their current roles, and in their desire to learn more about how our government works to represent their districts.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Our national debt.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

I think that 2 years is a good term length. It allows each elected official time to learn the role and become involved with committees and to fully see their work flourish. I do think that no more than three terms would be best for the House to allow new voices to carry on the work.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

There should be term limits for every office, of every branch of government. Every political office should be turned over to a new generation so It can truly represent our citizens over time.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Thomas Massie

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I hear the stories told nearly every day from my neighbors, coworkers, and from people I talk to in outreach booths about how distanced they feel from their representatives. They don't feel heard and they feel that government spends tax dollars at a rate that is unsustainable and that they make policy decisions that don't benefit them as a whole. I want to change that feeling in my district.

Tell us your favorite joke.

I don't really have a favorite, but I do laugh at dad jokes!

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Some compromise through diplomacy is necessary to achieve and end that is closer to the desired outcome, as long as it does not increase our national debt.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

I would seek to limit the tax burden for citizens at every opportunity to ensure that their tax dollars are going to benefit them, and not foreign interests or special interests groups. I would work to limit spending as much as possible to help reduce our national debt.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

The House of Representatives should use its investigative powers as a tool for ensuring government accountability, upholding the law, maintaining transparency, and checking the power of other branches.

What committees interest you?

foreign affairs, homeland security

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I think that our government has lost it's ability to understand what a budget is, and how it should benefit its people, and not corporations or foreign interests. Public officials should be held accountable for their decisions, and they should represent their constituents.

Campaign website

Shillings' campaign website stated the following:

Lauri holds a deep commitment to fiscal responsibility, education reform, and community health and wellness through servant leadership. She believes in implementing sound financial management practices to maintain balanced budgets and cut unnecessary spending. Lauri advocates for modern learning methods to keep the education system competitive globally. Moreover, she believes that affordable and accessible healthcare should be a right, not a privilege.

Fiscal Responsibility

Implementing sound financial management practices to maintain balanced budgets.

Advocate for cutting spending on programs that do not directly benefit our population as a whole.

Refuse special interests lobbying rights that try to gain favor through government contracts.

Implement a strategy to balance the national budget and reduce national debt.

Education

Adopt a free market approach to educational reform to make us competitive in the global market.

Promote modern learning methods that meet the needs of today's students.

Support the development of entrepreneurial skills within the education system.

Transition away from antiquated educational systems that are over 200 years old.

Community Health and Wellness

Affordable and accessible healthcare for all.

Ensure that healthcare decisions are not at the discretion of the government, religious groups, or insurance stockholders.

Support the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana.

Guarantee comprehensive healthcare access, including women's health services.

Individual Choice

Individuals engaging in activities that may run counter to our personal beliefs. Outside of obvious criminal offenses such as assault, theft, or murder, it is not the role of the government in a free society to prohibit such behavior, even when the majority wants it to be.

For this reason, activities such as abortion, drug use, education, religious beliefs, and personal defense, are the decisions of individual choice and personal bodily autonomy.

If you are not hurting anybody or taking their stuff- the government should stay out of it. Your life is your life. It is not the government's job to tell you how to live it.[3]

—Lauri Shillings' campaign website (2024)[4]