Bayh and Engling get personal in one-on-one debate

• The heated contest could also offer Democrats a rare opportunity to break Republicans' grip on statewide offices.

Catch up quick: Democrat Beau Bayh and Republican Max Engling were the only candidates invited to the debate hosted by FOX59 and CBS4.

• Libertarian Lauri Shillings and Lincoln Party candidate Greg Ballard were excluded after failing Nexstar's qualification standards, including a 10% polling threshold.
• A recent poll from Free Press Indiana put Bayh at 43%, Engling at 35%, Shillings at 6% and Ballard at 5%, with 11% undecided.

Driving the news: Both candidates said the secretary of state's office should be investigated following controversies surrounding outgoing Republican Diego Morales, including allegations related to spending, family hires and contracts awarded to donors.

Yes, but: They differ on who should handle it. Bayh wants an independent audit led by Republican Knox County Clerk David Shelton.

• Engling favors the state inspector general, arguing the office has greater investigative authority.
• "You need to have the person that actually has the authority to compel documents, to look at emails, to investigate dozens of people and make sure what the office has done is proper, or if not, hold it accountable," Engling said.
• Bayh countered that an independent review has been a cornerstone of his campaign.

Zoom in: The candidates also traded personal attacks onstage. Bayh accused Engling of linking his father, former Sen. Evan Bayh, to Jeffrey Epstein without evidence.

• Engling said he intends to sue over a Bayh advertisement about his driving history.
• The candidates clashed over the debate format, too. Bayh said he wanted all four candidates included, and Engling's campaign accused him of trying to duck a one-on-one matchup.

Zoom out: Engling and Bayh support Indiana's voter ID requirements and extending early voting hours. They diverged on eligibility enforcement.

• Engling backs the federal SAVE America Act and proposed color-coded IDs to help poll workers distinguish citizens from legal noncitizens.
• Bayh said county clerks should help identify ineligible registrations and criticized officials for prosecuting only one person among 21 whom state officials said a federal review had identified as noncitizen voters.

State of play: Bayh supports citizen-led ballot initiatives, including a potential avenue for voters to challenge partisan gerrymandering.

• "One of the big problems with our politics here is that some of the folks in the Statehouse are too often looking out for the special interests, not the interests of the working people of our state," Bayh said.
• Engling warned that outside groups could use ballot measures to mislead voters, favoring legislation through the General Assembly instead.

What's next: Election Day is Nov. 3.