2023 United States secretary of state elections

Last updated

2023 United States secretary of state elections
Flag of the United States (Web Colors).svg
  2022 November 7, 2023
November 18, 2023 (Louisiana)
2024  

3 secretary of state offices [a]
 Majority partyMinority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Seats before1916
Seats after1916
Seat changeSteady2.svgSteady2.svg
Popular vote1,715,1311,214,336
Percentage58.54%41.45%
Seats up30
Seats won30

2023 United States secretary of state elections results map.svg
     Republican hold
     No election

The 2023 United States secretary of state elections were held on November 7, 2023, in the states of Kentucky and Mississippi, with an election held in Louisiana on November 18, to elect the secretaries of state of three U.S. states. The previous elections for this group of states took place in 2019.

Contents

These elections took place concurrently with several other state and local elections.

Republicans won every seat in this election. [1]

Election predictions

Several sites and individuals published predictions of competitive seats. These predictions looked at factors such as the strength of the incumbent (if the incumbent is running for re-election), the strength of the candidates, and the partisan leanings of the state (reflected in part by the state's Cook Partisan Voting Index rating). The predictions assigned ratings to each seat, with the rating indicating a party's predicted advantage in winning that seat.

Most election predictors use:

State PVI IncumbentLast
race
Sabato
June 21,
2023
[2]
Result [1]
Kentucky R+16 Michael Adams 52.3% R Likely RAdams
60.6% R
Louisiana R+12 Kyle Ardoin
(retiring)
66.2% R Safe R Landry
66.8% R
Mississippi R+11 Michael Watson 57.8% R Safe RWatson
59.5% R

Race summary

StateAttorney
General
PartyFirst
elected
ResultCandidates
Kentucky Michael Adams Republican 2019 Incumbent re-elected
Louisiana Kyle Ardoin Republican2018 (special)Incumbent retiring.
New secretary of state elected
Republican hold.
  • Green check.svgY Nancy Landry (Republican) 66.8%
  • Gwen Collins-Greenup (Democratic) 33.2%
Mississippi Michael Watson Republican 2019 Incumbent re-elected
  • Green check.svgY Michael Watson (Republican) 59.5%
  • Ty Pinkins (Democratic) 40.5%

Kentucky

2023 Kentucky Secretary of State election
Flag of Kentucky.svg
  2019 November 7, 2023 (2023-11-07) 2027  
  Michael Adams.jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee Michael Adams Buddy Wheatley
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote787,198510,743
Percentage60.6%39.3%

2023 Kentucky Secretary of State election results map by county.svg

Adams:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%
Wheatley:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Secretary of State before election

Michael Adams
Republican

Elected Secretary of State

Michael Adams
Republican

Incumbent secretary of state Michael Adams ran and won re-election to a second term after he defeated Democratic nominee Buddy Wheatley with 60.6% of the vote. [3]

Republican primary results [4]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Michael Adams 171,288 63.9
Republican Stephen Knipper70,99326.5
Republican Allen Maricle 25,7729.6
Total votes268,053 100
2023 Kentucky Secretary of State election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican
783,695 60.59% +8.33%
Democratic 509,30839.38%−8.36%
Write-in 4600.04%
Total votes1,293,463 100.00%

Louisiana

2023 Louisiana Secretary of State election
Flag of Louisiana.svg
  2019
2027 
 
Nominee Nancy Landry Gwen Collins-Greenup Mike Francis
Party Republican Democratic Republican
First round197,514
19.3%
196,534
19.2%
182,842
17.9%
Runoff446,038
66.8%
221,698
33.2%
Eliminated

 
Nominee Clay Schexnayder Arthur MorrellThomas Kennedy III
Party Republican Democratic Republican
First round149,987
14.7%
113,703
11.1%
102,628
10.5%
RunoffEliminatedEliminatedEliminated

  Brandon Trosclair in COX Media Testimonial (cropped).png
NomineeBrandon Trosclair
Party Republican
First round64,686
6.3%
RunoffEliminated

2023 Louisiana secretary of state election results map by parish.svg
2023 Louisiana secretary of state runoff election results map by parish.svg
Landry:     20–30%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
Collins-Greenup:     20–30%     30–40%     50–60%     80–90%
Francis:     20–30%     30–40%     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%
Schexnayder:     20–30%     30–40%
Morrell:     40–50%
Kennedy:     40–50%

Secretary of State before election

Kyle Ardoin
Republican

Elected Secretary of State

Nancy Landry
Republican

Incumbent secretary of state Kyle Ardoin was re-elected to a second term in 2019 with 59.1% of the vote. Arodin is eligible to seek a third term, however he has chosen to retire instead. [5]

Louisiana utilizes a jungle primary system. The race went to a runoff between former state representative Nancy Landry and attorney Gwen Collins-Greenup. Landry won with 66.8% of the vote. [6]

2023 Louisiana Secretary of State election jungle primary [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Nancy Landry 197,514 19.34%
Democratic Gwen Collins-Greenup 196,534 19.25%
Republican Mike Francis 182,84217.91%
Republican Clay Schexnayder 149,98714.69%
Democratic Arthur Morrell113,70311.13%
Republican Thomas Kennedy III102,62810.05%
Republican Brandon Trosclair64,6866.33%
Independent Amanda Jennings13,2751.30%
Total votes1,021,169 100.0%
2023 Louisiana Secretary of State runoff election [8]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Nancy Landry 446,038 66.80% +7.73
Democratic Gwen Collins-Greenup221,69833.20%−7.73
Total votes667,736 100.0%

Mississippi

Mississippi Secretary of State election, 2023
Flag of Mississippi.svg
  2019 November 7, 2023 (2023-11-07)2027 
  Michael Watson.png 3x4.svg
Nominee Michael Watson Ty Pinkins
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote481,895328,067
Percentage59.5%40.5%

2023 Mississippi secretary of state election results map by county.svg
County results
Watson:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%
Pinkins:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%

Secretary of State before election

Michael Watson
Republican

Elected Secretary of State

Michael Watson
Republican

Incumbent secretary of state Michael Watson ran and won re-election to a second term after he defeated Democratic nominee Ty Pinkins with 59.5% of the vote. [9]

Republican primary results [10]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Michael Watson (incumbent) 351,774 100.00%
Total votes351,774 100.00%
Democratic primary results [11]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Shuwaski Young 152,115 100.00%
Total votes152,115 100.00%
2023 Mississippi Secretary of State election [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Michael Watson (incumbent) 481,895 59.50% +0.67%
Democratic Ty Pinkins328,06740.50%–0.67%
Total votes809,962 100.0%

See also

  1. Seat tallies and popular vote do not include states that do not elect secretaries of states.

References

  1. 1 2 Tanneeru, Manav. "2023 Elections | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  2. "The 2023 and 2024 Attorney General and Secretary of State Races". Sabato's Crystal Ball . June 21, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  3. "Kentucky secretary of state election: Michael Adams wins second term". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  4. "May 16, 2023 Official 2023 Primary Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky Secretary of State. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 30, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  5. LaRose, Greg (April 11, 2023). "Kyle Ardoin won't seek re-election for Secretary of State • Louisiana Illuminator". Louisiana Illuminator. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  6. Muller, Wesley (November 19, 2023). "Nancy Landry runs away with Louisiana secretary of state race • Louisiana Illuminator". Louisiana Illuminator. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  7. "Official Results for Election Date: 10/14/2023 Secretary of State".
  8. "Louisiana General Election Results". The New York Times. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  9. "Secretary of State Michael Watson re-elected". WJTV. November 8, 2023. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  10. "2023 Republican primary results". Mississippi Secretary of State . Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  11. "2023 Democratic primary results". Mississippi Secretary of State . Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  12. "2023 General Election Results". Mississippi Secretary of State . Retrieved December 6, 2023.