2026 California Secretary of State election

For related races, see 2026 United States secretary of state elections.

2026 California Secretary of State election

←  2022 November 3, 2026 (2026-11-03) 2030 →

Nominee Shirley Weber Don Wagner Party Democratic Republican

County results Weber:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90% Wagner:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Incumbent Secretary of State Shirley Weber Democratic

The 2026 California Secretary of State election took place on November 3, 2026, to elect the next secretary of state of California. The nonpartisan top-two primary election took place on June 2, 2026. Secretary of State Shirley Weber was elected in 2022 with 60.1% of the vote. ^[1] She is running for re-election to a second term. ^[2] Republican Orange County supervisor Don Wagner is also running for this position. ^[3]

Candidates

Democratic Party

Advanced to general

• Shirley Weber, incumbent California Secretary of State ^[2]

Republican Party

Advanced to general

• Don Wagner, Orange County supervisor from the 3rd district (2019–present) and former state assemblymember from the 68th district (2010–2016) ^[3]

Green Party

Eliminated in primary

• Gary Blenner, teacher ^[4]
• Michael Feinstein, former Santa Monica city councilor (1996–2004) and candidate for secretary of state in 2018 ^[4]

Primary election

Endorsements

Gary Blenner (G)

Political parties

• Green Party of California ^[5]
• Peace and Freedom Party ^[5]

Don Wagner (R)

U.S. senators

• Pete Wilson, former governor of California (1991–1999) and former U.S. senator from California (1983–1991) (candidate's honorary campaign chair) ^[6]

Statewide officials

• Bill Jones, former secretary of state of California (1995–2003) (candidate's campaign co-chair) ^[1]
• Bruce McPherson, former secretary of state of California (2005–2007) (Independent; candidate's campaign co-chair) ^[6]

Political parties

• California Republican Party ^{[7] [8]}

Shirley Weber (D)

U.S. representatives

• Barbara Lee, mayor of Oakland (2025–present) and former U.S. representative from CA-12 (1998–2025) ^[2]

Statewide officials

• Rob Bonta, attorney general of California (2021–present) ^[2]

State legislators

• Toni Atkins, former president pro tempore of the California State Senate (2018–2024) from the 39th district (2016–2024) ^[9]

Labor unions

• California Faculty Association ^[10]
• California Federation of Labor Unions ^[11]
• SEIU California ^[12]
• SEIU United Healthcare Workers West ^[13]
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters California ^[14]

Organizations

• National Women's Political Caucus ^[15]
• Sierra Club Angeles Chapter ^[16]
• Stonewall Democratic Club ^[17]

Political parties

• California Democratic Party ^[18]

Party chapters

• Santa Monica Democratic Party ^[19]

Newspapers

• Bay Area Reporter ^[20]
• McClatchy Media California ^{[a] [21]}
• San Francisco Bay Guardian ^[22]
• San Francisco Chronicle ^[23]
• San Francisco Examiner ^[24]
• Sun-Reporter ^[25]

Results

Results by county

  Weber

•   40–50%
•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%
•   80–90%

  Wagner

•   40–50%
•   50–60%
•   60–70%
•   70–80%

Blanket primary results ^[26]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Shirley Weber (incumbent)	5,092,491	58.70
	Republican	Donald P. Wagner	3,187,180	36.74
	Green	Michael Feinstein	207,602	2.39
	Green	Gary Blenner	187,925	2.17
Total votes			8,675,198	100.00

By county

County [27]	Shirley Weber Democratic		Donald P. Wagner Republican		Various candidates Green		Margin		Total
	#	%	#	%	#	%	#	%
Alameda	284,876	75.52%	69,686	18.47%	22,649	6.00%	215,190	57.05%	377,211
Alpine	293	61.30%	160	33.47%	25	5.23%	133	27.82%	478
Amador	5,128	33.91%	9,505	62.85%	491	3.25%	-4,377	-28.94%	15,124
Butte	25,777	43.55%	30,827	52.08%	2,582	4.36%	-5,050	-8.53%	59,186
Calaveras	5,390	33.12%	10,336	63.51%	549	3.37%	-4,946	-30.39%	16,275
Colusa	1,294	32.26%	2,581	64.35%	136	3.39%	-1,287	-32.09%	4,011
Contra Costa	197,056	66.30%	85,419	28.74%	14,745	4.96%	111,637	37.56%	297,220
Del Norte	2,514	40.06%	3,489	55.60%	272	4.33%	-975	-15.54%	6,275
El Dorado	29,089	40.14%	41,054	56.66%	2,318	3.20%	-11,965	-16.51%	72,461
Fresno	79,368	46.18%	84,583	49.22%	7,906	4.60%	-5,215	-3.03%	171,857
Glenn	1,628	27.02%	4,207	69.83%	190	3.15%	-2,579	-42.80%	6,025
Humboldt	22,387	61.52%	11,537	31.70%	2,466	6.78%	10,850	29.82%	36,390
Imperial	12,943	54.75%	9,220	39.00%	1,478	6.25%	3,723	15.75%	23,641
Inyo	2,541	44.52%	2,874	50.36%	292	5.12%	-333	-5.83%	5,707
Kern	54,527	39.19%	78,958	56.75%	5,638	4.05%	-24,431	-17.56%	139,123
Kings	7,842	36.93%	12,680	59.72%	712	3.35%	-4,838	-22.78%	21,234
Lake	7,140	47.00%	7,177	47.24%	875	5.76%	-37	-0.24%	15,192
Lassen	1,454	20.50%	5,441	76.71%	198	2.79%	-3,987	-56.21%	7,093
Los Angeles	1,306,631	65.93%	565,077	28.51%	110,142	5.56%	741,554	37.42%	1,981,850
Madera	11,323	37.34%	17,869	58.93%	1,131	3.73%	-6,546	-21.59%	30,323
Marin	71,271	76.79%	17,197	18.53%	4,349	4.69%	54,074	58.26%	92,817
Mariposa	2,396	36.81%	3,868	59.43%	245	3.76%	-1,472	-22.61%	6,509
Mendocino	14,713	61.86%	7,824	32.90%	1,246	5.24%	6,889	28.97%	23,783
Merced	20,721	47.78%	20,541	47.37%	2,103	4.85%	180	0.42%	43,365
Modoc	619	24.22%	1,877	73.44%	60	2.35%	-1,258	-49.22%	2,556
Mono	1,954	55.04%	1,430	40.28%	166	4.68%	524	14.76%	3,550
Monterey	49,466	63.66%	24,796	31.91%	3,447	4.44%	24,670	31.75%	77,709
Napa	24,698	63.58%	12,309	31.69%	1,840	4.74%	12,389	31.89%	38,847
Nevada	20,983	52.73%	17,309	43.50%	1,500	3.77%	3,674	9.23%	39,792
Orange	357,195	48.17%	358,665	48.37%	25,626	3.46%	-1,470	-0.20%	741,486
Placer	62,863	42.91%	79,034	53.95%	4,586	3.13%	-16,171	-11.04%	146,483
Plumas	2,774	38.39%	4,209	58.25%	243	3.36%	-1,435	-19.86%	7,226
Riverside	256,698	49.43%	243,125	46.82%	19,473	3.75%	13,573	2.61%	519,296
Sacramento	219,442	59.12%	133,510	35.97%	18,198	4.90%	85,932	23.15%	371,150
San Benito	8,678	55.53%	6,305	40.35%	644	4.12%	2,373	15.19%	15,627
San Bernardino	185,013	48.99%	177,053	46.88%	15,567	4.12%	7,960	2.11%	377,633
San Diego	459,531	56.24%	327,376	40.07%	30,170	3.69%	132,155	16.17%	817,077
San Francisco	200,250	82.17%	30,445	12.49%	13,004	5.34%	169,805	69.68%	243,699
San Joaquin	63,409	49.38%	59,920	46.66%	5,093	3.97%	3,489	2.72%	128,422
San Luis Obispo	50,337	52.37%	42,625	44.35%	3,150	3.28%	7,712	8.02%	96,112
San Mateo	134,404	72.22%	43,357	23.30%	8,330	4.48%	91,047	48.93%	186,091
Santa Barbara	63,160	59.69%	38,394	36.29%	4,258	4.02%	24,766	23.41%	105,812
Santa Clara	262,403	66.91%	111,181	28.35%	18,614	4.75%	151,222	38.56%	392,198
Santa Cruz	58,861	74.14%	16,007	20.16%	4,529	5.70%	42,854	53.97%	79,397
Shasta	15,485	31.03%	33,123	66.38%	1,294	2.59%	-17,638	-35.35%	49,902
Sierra	409	35.72%	702	61.31%	34	2.97%	-293	-25.59%	1,145
Siskiyou	5,056	37.36%	7,983	58.98%	495	3.66%	-2,927	-21.63%	13,534
Solano	56,975	59.10%	34,829	36.13%	4,595	4.77%	22,146	22.97%	96,399
Sonoma	111,367	70.25%	38,506	24.29%	8,666	5.47%	72,861	45.96%	158,539
Stanislaus	42,229	44.82%	48,996	52.00%	2,998	3.18%	-6,767	-7.18%	94,223
Sutter	7,709	34.39%	13,847	61.77%	861	3.84%	-6,138	-27.38%	22,417
Tehama	4,160	25.69%	11,538	71.26%	494	3.05%	-7,378	-45.57%	16,192
Trinity	1,472	42.92%	1,792	52.24%	166	4.84%	-320	-9.33%	3,430
Tulare	25,991	38.03%	40,105	58.68%	2,246	3.29%	-14,114	-20.65%	68,342
Tuolumne	7,231	37.00%	11,576	59.24%	734	3.76%	-4,345	-22.24%	19,541
Ventura	119,877	55.75%	87,441	40.66%	7,715	3.59%	32,436	15.08%	215,033
Yolo	37,819	66.50%	15,698	27.60%	3,351	5.89%	22,121	38.90%	56,868
Yuba	5,671	34.75%	10,007	61.32%	642	3.93%	-4,336	-26.57%	16,320
Totals	5,092,491	58.70%	3,187,180	36.74%	395,527	4.56%	1,905,311	21.96%	8,675,198

General election

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
Sabato's Crystal Ball [28]	Safe D	August 7, 2025

Post-primary endorsements

Shirley Weber (D)

Organizations

• EMILYs List ^[29]
• Reproductive Freedom for All ^[30]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size [b]	Margin of error	Shirley Weber (D)	Donald P. Wagner (R)	Other	Undecided
Independent Voter Project [31]	September 23 – October 2, 2026	2,906 (LV)	± 2.5%	41%	31%	2% [c]	26%

Results

2026 California Secretary of State election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Shirley Weber (incumbent)
	Republican	Donald P. Wagner
Total votes

See also

• 2026 California elections
• 2026 United States secretary of state elections

Notes

1. The Sacramento Bee , The Modesto Bee , The Fresno Bee , Merced Sun-Star , and The Tribune
2. Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear
3. "Would skip the race" with 2%

References

1. Slaten, Michael (July 30, 2025). "OC Supervisor Don Wagner wants California secretary of state as next job". The Orange County Register . Retrieved September 18, 2025.
2. Nixon, Nicole (May 22, 2025). "Shirley Weber to seek reelection as California Secretary of State". The Sacramento Bee . Retrieved September 18, 2025.
3. Lightman, David; Wu, Amelia (July 31, 2025). "Orange County supervisor joins race for secretary of state". The Sacramento Bee . Retrieved September 18, 2025.
4. "2026 California Primary Notice to Candidates - Secretary of State" (PDF). California Secretary of State . March 21, 2026.
5. "Left Unity has begun for the June 2026 primary election". December 18, 2025. Retrieved April 2, 2026.
6. "Don Wagner Gains Governor Pete Wilson Endorsement for California Secretary of State Campaign". Sierra Daily News. September 16, 2025. Retrieved September 18, 2025.
7. Republican Party, California (April 12, 2026). "The California Republican Party has endorsed Don Wagner for California Secretary of State". California Republican Party. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
8. City, News Service (April 12, 2026). "State Republicans fail to endorse candidate for governor". ABC10 News San Diego. Retrieved April 12, 2026.
9. Ray Harvey, Antonio; Wilson, Regina (June 19, 2025). "In a Time of Discord, Dr. Weber Says Civic Engagement Is Our Lifelong Duty". The Sacramento Observer . Retrieved September 18, 2025.
10. "Endorsements". California Faculty Association. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
11. "Labor 2026 Primary Election Endorsements". California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
12. "2026 ELECTION ENDORSEMENTS". SEIU California. Archived from the original on February 22, 2026. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
13. "SEIU-UHW 2026 Primary Election Endorsements". SEIU United Healthcare Workers West. Archived from the original on February 8, 2026. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
14. "2026 California Endorsements" (PDF). Teamsters Joint Council 42. September 18, 2025. Retrieved October 22, 2025.^{[ dead link ]}
15. "Endorsed Candidates". National Women's Political Caucus. Archived from the original on June 7, 2026. Retrieved October 30, 2026.
16. Simpson, Jane. "Endorsements". Sierra Club Angeles Chapter. Retrieved December 13, 2025.
17. "2026 November Stonewall Endorsed Candidates". Stonewall Democratic Club . Archived from the original on January 26, 2026. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
18. "2026 Primary election Endorsements" (PDF). Retrieved April 3, 2026.
19. Newton, Damien (September 18, 2025). "Santa Monica Democratic Club Endorses Sion Roy for State Senate". Santa Monica Next. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
20. "Editorial: Recommendations for CA offices". Bay Area Reporter . May 6, 2026. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
21. "McClatchy Media endorses a proven leader for California secretary of state Opinion". The Sacramento Bee . May 4, 2026. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
22. Redmond, Tim (May 6, 2026). "Endorsements for the June 2 election". San Francisco Bay Guardian . Retrieved May 22, 2026.
23. "Endorsement: California elections have never been more fraught. We need a steady hand as secretary of state". San Francisco Chronicle . May 1, 2026. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
24. "The Examiner endorses Weber, Cohen and Mullin for re-election". San Francisco Examiner. May 27, 2026. Retrieved May 27, 2026.
25. "The Ballot: Who We're Recommending For on June 2". Sun-Reporter . May 12, 2026. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
26. Weber, Shirley (July 10, 2026). "Complete Statement of Vote" (PDF). Secretary of State of California . Archived (PDF) from the original on July 11, 2026. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
27. Weber, Shirley (July 10, 2026). "Secretary of State by County" (PDF). Secretary of State of California . Archived (PDF) from the original on July 21, 2026. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
28. Jacobson, Louis (August 7, 2025). "Previewing the 2026 Secretary of State Races". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
29. "State and Local Candidates". EMILYs List. Retrieved August 8, 2026.
30. "Reproductive Freedom for All Endorses Xavier Becerra for Governor and Slate of Candidates for Key California Races". Reproductive Freedom for All. October 7, 2026. Retrieved October 25, 2026.
31. Brown McCormick, Cara (October 4, 2026). "New CA Poll: Voter ID Measure Leads Today. Its Undecided Voters Point the Other Way". Independent Voter News. Retrieved October 5, 2026.

External links

Official campaign websites

• Don Wagner (R)
• Shirley Weber (D)