A Hamilton County pastor said he wants to use the position of lieutenant governor to advocate for constitutional government.

Pastor Micah Beckwith this week announced he is campaigning for lieutenant governor. Nominees for that office are chosen by delegates to the state party conventions instead of by voters, so Beckwith told News 8 he is trying to recruit people to nominate him at next year’s Indiana Republican Party convention.

Beckwith, who first came to prominence through his protests against COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, said he feels called to teach people what the Constitution says about what the government can and cannot do. He said the lieutenant governor should be a voice in government for the delegates to the convention.

In an interview for “All INdiana Politics,” Beckwith said while the governor ultimately has final authority over the executive branch, the lieutenant governor, as a member of the governor’s inner circle, can play a role in discussions surrounding the governor’s decisions.

“I’m an influencer. I look at politics and everything I’m doing as a pastor, it’s all about influence. How are you going to teach people and influence in the right direction?” he said.

Beckwith said if he became lieutenant governor, he would advocate for redirecting state funding directly to students and teachers.