2026 United States secretary of state elections

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2026 United States secretary of state elections
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26 secretary of state offices
 Majority partyMinority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Seats before2621
Seats up1313
2026 United States secretary of state elections map.svg
     Democratic incumbent     Term-limited or retiring Democrat
     Republican incumbent     Term-limited or retiring Republican
     No election

The 2026 United States secretary of state elections are scheduled to be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the secretary of state of twenty-six U.S. states.

Contents

The previous secretary of state elections for this group of states took place in 2022. The secretary of state of Vermont serves two-year terms and was last elected in 2024.

These elections will take place concurrently with various other federal, state, and local elections.

Partisan composition

Going into these elections, this class of secretaries of state is made up of 13 Democrats and 13 Republicans. Democrats are defending four states won by Donald Trump in 2024 (Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin), while Republicans do not hold any states won by Kamala Harris.

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 was running for reelection) and the other candidates, and the state's partisan lean (reflected in part by the state's Cook Partisan Voting Index rating). The predictions assigned ratings to each seat, indicating the predicted advantage that a party had in winning that seat. Most election predictors used:

ConstituencyIncumbentRatings
State PVI [1] Secretary of StateLast
election [a] 		Sabato
Aug. 7,
2025 [2]
Alabama R+15 Wes Allen
(retiring)		65.9% R Safe R
Arizona R+2 Adrian Fontes 52.4% D Tossup
Arkansas R+15 Cole Jester
(term-limited) [b] 		Appointed
(2025) [c] 		Safe R
California D+12 Shirley Weber 60.1% D Safe D
Colorado D+6 Jena Griswold
(term-limited)		55.1% D Safe D
Connecticut D+8 Stephanie Thomas 55.2% D Safe D
Georgia R+1 Brad Raffensperger 53.2% R Lean R
Idaho R+18 Phil McGrane 72.1% R Safe R
Illinois D+6 Alexi Giannoulias 54.3% D Safe D
Indiana R+9 Diego Morales 54.1% R Likely R
Iowa R+6 Paul Pate 60.1% R Likely R
Kansas R+8 Scott Schwab
(retiring)		58.4% R Safe R
Massachusetts D+14 William F. Galvin 67.7% D Safe D
Michigan EVEN Jocelyn Benson
(term-limited)		55.9% D Tossup
Minnesota D+3 Steve Simon 54.5% DFL Likely D
Nebraska R+10 Bob Evnen 100.0% R [d] Safe R
Nevada R+1 Cisco Aguilar 49.0% D Tossup
New Mexico D+4 Maggie Toulouse Oliver
(term-limited)		54.5% D Safe D
North Dakota R+18 Michael Howe 63.2% R Safe R
Ohio R+5 Frank LaRose
(term-limited)		59.3% R Likely R
Rhode Island D+8 Gregg Amore 59.5% D Safe D
South Carolina R+8 Mark Hammond 63.3% R Safe R
South Dakota R+15 Monae Johnson 63.9% R Safe R
Vermont D+17 Sarah Copeland Hanzas 59.6% D Safe D
Wisconsin EVEN Sarah Godlewski
(retiring)		Appointed
(2023) [e] 		Tossup
Wyoming R+23 Chuck Gray 91.6% R Safe R

Race summary

StateSecretary
of state		PartyFirst
elected		StatusCandidates
Alabama Wes Allen Republican 2022 Incumbent retiring to run for lieutenant governor [3]
Arizona Adrian Fontes Democratic 2022 Incumbent running
Arkansas Cole Jester Republican2025 (appointed)Term-limited [f]
  • ▌ Kim Hammer (Republican) [9]
  • ▌Cathy Hardin Harrison (Republican) [10]
  • ▌Bryan Norris (Republican) [11]
California Shirley Weber Democratic2021 [g] Incumbent running
Colorado Jena Griswold Democratic 2018 Term-limited
Connecticut Stephanie Thomas Democratic 2022 Incumbent's intent unknown
TBD
Georgia Brad Raffensperger Republican 2018 Incumbent's intent unknown
Idaho Phil McGrane Republican 2022 Incumbent's intent unknown
TBD
Illinois Alexi Giannoulias Democratic 2022 Incumbent running
Indiana Diego Morales Republican 2022 Incumbent running
  • ▌ Diego Morales (Republican) [22]
  • ▌Blythe Potter (Democratic) [23]
  • ▌Jamie Reitenour (Republican) [24]
  • ▌David Shelton (Republican) [25]
  • ▌Lauri Shillings (Libertarian) [26]
Iowa Paul Pate Republican 2014 Incumbent running
Kansas Scott Schwab Republican 2018 Incumbent retiring to run for governor [29]
Massachusetts William F. Galvin Democratic 1994 Incumbent's intent unknown
TBD
Michigan Jocelyn Benson Democratic 2018 Term-limited
Minnesota Steve Simon DFL 2014 Incumbent's intent unknown
TBD
Nebraska Bob Evnen Republican 2018 Incumbent running
Nevada Cisco Aguilar Democratic 2022 Incumbent's intent unknown
New Mexico Maggie Toulouse Oliver Democratic 2016 (special) Term-limited
  • ▌Amanda López Askin (Democratic) [37]
  • ▌Katharine Clark (Democratic) [38]
  • ▌Sonya Smith (Democratic) [39]
North Dakota Michael Howe Republican 2022 Incumbent's intent unknown
TBD
Ohio Frank LaRose Republican 2018 Term-limited
Rhode Island Gregg Amore Democratic 2022 Incumbent running
South Carolina Mark Hammond Republican2002Incumbent's intent unknown
TBD
South Dakota Monae Johnson Republican 2022 Incumbent running
Vermont Sarah Copeland-Hanzas Democratic 2022 Incumbent running
Wisconsin Sarah Godlewski Democratic2023 (appointed)Incumbent retiring to run for lieutenant governor [47]
  • ▌Pete Karas (Green) [48]
Wyoming Chuck Gray Republican 2022 Incumbent's intent unknownTBD

Alabama

Secretary of State Wes Allen was elected in 2022 with 65.9% of the vote. He is retiring to run for Lieutenant Governor. [3]

Arizona

Secretary of State Adrian Fontes was elected in 2022 with 52.4% of the vote. He is running for re-election to a second term in office. [7] Fontes hinted at a potential primary challenge to Arizona governor Katie Hobbs, but ultimately decided against it. [49] Alexander Kolodin, representative for District 3 in the Arizona House of Representatives, announced his campaign for the Republican nomination on March 31. [8]

Arkansas

Secretary of State John Thurston resigned after being elected as state treasurer in 2024. Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders appointed Cole Jester to fill the remainder of his term. However, he is ineligible to run for a full term per the state constitution. Republican candidates include state senator Kim Hammer. [9]

California

Secretary of State Shirley Weber was elected in 2022 with 60.1% of the vote. She is running for re-election to a second term. [13] Republican Orange County supervisor Don Wagner is also running for the position. [12]

Colorado

Secretary of State Jena Griswold was re-elected in 2022 with 55.1% of the vote. She will be term limited by the Colorado Constitution and cannot seek re-election to a third consecutive term. [50] Democratic candidates include Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez. [15]

Connecticut

Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas was elected in 2022 with 55.2% of the vote. She is eligible to run for re-election but has not yet stated if she will do so. Republican perennial candidate Peter Lumaj has created an exploratory committee, though has not specified which office he may run for. [51]

Georgia

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was re-elected in 2022 with 53.2% of the vote. He is eligible to run for re-election but has not yet stated if he will do so. Republican state representative Tim Fleming, businessman Kelvin King, and former elections official Gabriel Sterling have announced plans to run for the position. [16] [18]

Idaho

Secretary of State Phil McGrane was elected in 2022 with 72.5% of the vote. He is eligible to run for re-election but has not yet stated if he will do so.

Illinois

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias was elected in 2022 with 54.3% of the vote. He is running for re-election. Republicans Walter Adamczyk and Joliet Junior College trustee Diane Harris are running against him. [20] [19] [21]

Indiana

Secretary of State Diego Morales was elected in 2022 with 54.1% of the vote. He is running for re-election to a second term. [22] Beau Bayh, judicial law clerk for the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and son of former Indiana governor Evan Bayh, is a potential Democratic candidate. [52]

Iowa

Secretary of State Paul Pate was re-elected in 2022 with 60.1% of the vote. He is running for re-election. [27] Democrat Navy veteran Ryan Peterman is running against him. [28]

Kansas

Secretary of State Scott Schwab was re-elected in 2022 with 58.4% of the vote. He is retiring to run for governor. [29] Republican state representatives Pat Proctor and Ken Rahjes are running for the position. [30] [31]

Massachusetts

Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin was re-elected in 2022 with 67.7% of the vote. He is eligible to run for re-election to a ninth term but has not yet stated if he will do so. Democratic state senator Becca Rausch is seen as a potential primary challenger to Galvin. [53]

Michigan

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson was re-elected in 2022 with 55.9% of the vote. She is term-limited and cannot seek re-election.

Aghogho Edevbie, the deputy secretary of state of Michigan, has announced that he will run for the seat as a Democrat. Ingham County clerk Barbara Byrum also joined the race in May 2025. [33] [32]

Democratic state senator Jeremy Moss was viewed as a potential candidate before announcing his campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. [33] [54]

Businesswoman Monica Yatooma is running for the Republican nomination. [34]

Minnesota

Secretary of State Steve Simon was re-elected in 2022 with 54.5% of the vote. He is eligible to run for re-election but has not yet stated if he will do so.

Simon is rumored to be considering a gubernatorial bid if Minnesota Governor Tim Walz does not run for re-election. If Simon runs for governor or does not run for re-election, potential candidates to succeed him as secretary of state include state representative Emma Greenman and DFL official Ben Weisbuch. [55]

Nebraska

Secretary of State Bob Evnen was re-elected unopposed in 2022. He is running for re-election to a third term. [35]

New Mexico

Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver was re-elected in 2022 with 54.5% of the vote. She is term-limited and cannot seek re-election.

North Dakota

Secretary of State Michael Howe was re-elected in 2022 with 63.3% of the vote. He is eligible to run for re-election but has not yet stated if he will do so.

Ohio

Secretary of State Frank LaRose was re-elected in 2022 with 59.3% of the vote. He is term-limited and cannot seek re-election. Ohio State Treasurer Robert Sprague has launched a bid for the Republican nomination, [42] while Ohio Senate Majority Leader Theresa Gavarone has expressed interest in running. [56] On the Democrat side, oncologist Bryan Hambley and former House minority leader Allison Russo have announced runs. [40] [41]

Rhode Island

Secretary of State Gregg Amore was re-elected in 2022 with 59.5% of the vote. He is running for re-election to a second term in office. [43]

South Carolina

Secretary of State Mark Hammond was re-elected in 2022 with 63.3% of the vote. He is eligible to run for re-election but has not yet stated if he will do so.

South Dakota

Secretary of State Monae Johnson was elected in 2022 with 63.9% of the vote. She is eligible to run for re-election and has stated her intent to do so. [57] Democrat former state trooper Terrence Davis is running against her. [58]

Vermont

Secretary of State Sarah Copeland-Hanzas was re-elected in 2024 with 59.6% of the vote. She is running for re-election. [46]

Wisconsin

Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski was appointed in 2023 after Doug La Follette resigned. She is retiring to run for lieutenant governor. [59]

Wyoming

Secretary of State Chuck Gray was elected in 2022 with 91.6% of the vote, without major party opposition. He is eligible to run for re-election but has not yet stated if he will do so.

Notes

  1. ↑ The last elections for this group of secretary of states, with the exception of Vermont, were in 2022, except for those who became secretary of states after their predecessor's resignation.
  2. ↑ The Arkansas State Constitution prohibits appointees from running for election.
  3. ↑ Republican John Thurston won with 67.1% of the vote in 2022, but resigned on January 1, 2025, after being elected Arkansas State Treasurer in 2024.
  4. ↑ Evnen ran unopposed in 2022.
  5. ↑ Democrat Doug La Follette won with 48.3% of the vote in 2022, but resigned on March 17, 2023
  6. ↑ The Arkansas State Constitution prohibits appointees from running for election.
  7. ↑ Weber took office after her predecessor (Alex Padilla) resigned.

References

  1. ↑ "2025 Cook PVI℠: State Map and List". Cook Political Report. March 6, 2025. Retrieved May 10, 2025.
  2. ↑ Jacobson, Louis (August 7, 2025). "Previewing the 2026 Secretary of State Races". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Chapoco, Ralph (February 18, 2025). "Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen announces bid for lieutenant governor". Alabama Reflector . Retrieved March 28, 2025.
  4. ↑ Taylor, Caleb (June 26, 2025). "Caroleene Dobson running for Secretary of State in 2026". 1819 News. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  5. ↑ Hall, Ryan (July 10, 2025). "Who will be the next secretary of state in Alabama?". CBS 42. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  6. ↑ Monger, Craig (February 24, 2025). "State Auditor Andrew Sorrell running for Secretary of State". 1819 News . Retrieved February 24, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Wingett Sanchez, Yvonne; Marley, Patrick (December 17, 2024). "Top Arizona election official accuses predecessors of ignoring proof-of-citizenship problem". The Washington Post . Retrieved December 19, 2024. Fontes told The Post this week that he is running for reelection and is no longer considering challenging Hobbs in the Democratic primary for governor.
  8. 1 2 Sievers, Caitlin (March 31, 2025). "Arizona Freedom Caucus member Kolodin running for secretary of state in 2026". Arizona Mirror . Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  9. 1 2 Earley, Neal (January 6, 2025). "Kim Hammer announces Secretary of State run". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  10. ↑ Earley, Neal (April 2, 2025). "Miller County Judge announces candidacy for Arkansas secretary of state | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette . Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Bryan Norris announces candidacy for Arkansas Secretary of State". White River Now. June 23, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
  12. 1 2 Slaten, Michael (July 30, 2025). "OC Supervisor Don Wagner wants California secretary of state as next job" . The Orange County Register. Archived from the original on July 31, 2025. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  13. 1 2 Nixon, Nicole (May 22, 2025). "Shirley Weber to seek reelection as California Secretary of State". The Sacramento Bee . Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  14. ↑ Paul, Jesse (July 15, 2025). "Democratic state senator launches bid to become Colorado's top election official". The Colorado Sun. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  15. 1 2 Porter, Jessica (January 6, 2025). "Jeffco Clerk Amanda Gonzalez announces campaign for Colorado Secretary of State". KMGH-TV . Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  16. 1 2 Niesse, Mark (July 3, 2025). "State Rep. Tim Fleming announces plans to run for secretary of state". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  17. ↑ Bluestein, Greg; Mitchell, Tia; Murphy, Patricia; Beam, Adam (July 24, 2025). "Kelvin King enters secretary of state race with a shot at his likely rival". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Retrieved July 24, 2025.
  18. 1 2 Niesse, Mark (September 4, 2025). "Gabriel Sterling joins Republican race for Georgia elections chief". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  19. 1 2 Kapos, Shia (June 6, 2025). "Conway's big money moves". Politico . Retrieved July 21, 2025. Walter Adamczyk... has announced he's running for Illinois secretary of state.
  20. 1 2 Miller, Rich (May 30, 2025). "Sizzling hot campaign season forecast for Chicago and Illinois". Chicago Sun Times . Retrieved June 4, 2025. "I'm running for reelection," Giannoulias bluntly replied.
  21. 1 2 Szalinski, Ben (August 15, 2025). "New Republican to run for Illinois governor as election season begins". WQAD-TV . Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  22. 1 2 Carden, Dan (May 1, 2025). "Morales running for second term as Indiana secretary of state". The Times of Northwest Indiana . Retrieved May 1, 2025.
  23. ↑ "Franklin County Democrats Announce Protest".
  24. ↑ "Two Candidates and a Potential Contender Challenge Diego Morales for Indiana Secretary of State in 2026". Hoosier Enquirer. June 1, 2025. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  25. ↑ Colombo, Hayleigh; Carloni, Brittany (May 1, 2025). "Secretary of State Diego Morales announces 2026 reelection bid. Will he see challengers?". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
  26. ↑ Muñiz, Leslie Bonilla (May 6, 2025). "Libertarian to explore challenge to Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales". Indiana Capital Chronicle. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  27. 1 2 Murphy, Erin (June 14, 2025). "Pate running for another term as Iowa's top elections official". The Gazette . Retrieved June 14, 2025.
  28. 1 2 Pfannenstiel, Brianne (May 20, 2025). "Navy veteran Ryan Peterman launches campaign for Iowa secretary of state as a Democrat". The Des Moines Register . Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  29. 1 2 Scammahorn, Julia (January 8, 2025). "Republican Scott Schwab running for Kansas Governor". KCTV . Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  30. 1 2 Carpenter, Tim (April 4, 2025). "Leavenworth House member first Republican to declare as 2026 candidate for secretary of state". Kansas Reflector . Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  31. 1 2 Harvel, Jack (July 31, 2025). "Rep. Ken Rahjes is running for secretary of state in the 2026 elections". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Archived from the original on August 15, 2025. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  32. 1 2 Lobo, Arpan (May 21, 2025). "Democrat Barb Byrum launches campaign to become Michigan Secretary of State". Detroit Free Press . Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  33. 1 2 3 LeBlanc, Beth (January 27, 2025). "Democrat Aghogho Edevbie, Deputy Secretary of State, to run for top job". The Detroit News . Retrieved January 27, 2025.
  34. 1 2 Lobo, Arpan (September 4, 2025). "Oakland County GOP delegate Monica Yatooma enters Michigan Secretary of State race". Detroit Free Press . Retrieved September 4, 2025.
  35. 1 2 Bovaird, Susie (June 2, 2025). "Nebraska Secretary of State Evnen to run for third term in 2026". Lincoln Journal Star . Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  36. ↑ Mueller, Tabitha; Neugeboren, Eric (April 29, 2025). "Are Lombardo's bills being introduced unusually late?". The Nevada Independent . Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  37. ↑ Prokop, Danielle (April 16, 2025). "Doña Ana County Clerk announces campaign for NM Secretary of State". Source New Mexico. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  38. ↑ Prokop, Danielle (May 27, 2025). "Santa Fe County clerk discusses her bid to be New Mexico's next secretary of state". Source New Mexico. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
  39. ↑ Prokop, Danielle (June 2, 2025). "Former NM Veteran's Department cabinet secretary seeks Secretary of State seat • Source New Mexico". Source New Mexico. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  40. 1 2 Moorwood, Victoria (January 3, 2025). "UC Health doctor running for Ohio secretary of state". The Columbus Dispatch . Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  41. 1 2 Henry, Megan (August 21, 2025). "Former Ohio House Democratic leader Allison Russo is running for Ohio Secretary of State". Ohio Capital Journal . Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  42. 1 2 Staff, Ohio Capital Journal (February 5, 2025). "Republican Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague enters 2026 GOP primary for Secretary of State". Ohio Capital Journal. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  43. 1 2 Anderson, Patrick (January 13, 2025). "How Shekarchi's shadow looms large in the 2026 RI governor's race". The Providence Journal . Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  44. ↑ Hult, John (August 9, 2025). "Former state trooper plans run as Democrat for secretary of state". South Dakota Searchlight. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  45. ↑ https://www.sdpb.org/politics/2025-01-10/johnson-to-seek-secretary-of-state-reelection
  46. 1 2 Robinson, Shaun (August 14, 2025). "Vermont Lt. Gov. John Rodgers, Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas say they're running for reelection". VTDigger. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  47. ↑ Thompson, Chad (August 20, 2025). "Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski announces run for lieutenant governor". WKOW. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  48. ↑ Bahl, Andrew (December 10, 2024). "The Wisconsin Green Party wants to double down in 2026. Will it work?". The Capital Times . Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  49. ↑ Barchenger, Stacy (November 19, 2024). "Adrian Fontes says gubernatorial buzz is 'a real conversation', but focuses on reelection" . The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on November 19, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  50. ↑ Birkeland ·, Bente (November 8, 2022). "Democrat Jena Griswold wins second term as Colorado's top election official". Colorado Public Radio . Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  51. ↑ Rennie, Kevin (February 19, 2025). "There he goes again: Peter Lumaj creates exploratory for statewide office–but not Treasurer". Daily Runctions. Retrieved September 5, 2025.
  52. ↑ Howey, Brian (November 15, 2024). "HOWEY: Indiana Democrats didn't fully embrace McCormick". WTHR . Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  53. ↑ Garrity, Kelly (July 15, 2025). "Secretary of state race stirring". Politico. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
  54. ↑ Spangler, Todd. "Democratic state Sen. Jeremy Moss announces run for US House". Detroit Free Press . Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  55. ↑ Kashiwagi, Sydney (May 7, 2025). "Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon won't run for U.S. Senate" . Minnesota Star Tribune . Archived from the original on May 7, 2025. Retrieved May 7, 2025. DFL sources say Simon is interested in a gubernatorial bid, but only if Walz doesn't run for re-election
  56. ↑ Glynn, Erin (January 23, 2025). "Former Ohio lawmaker Niraj Antani announces run for secretary of state". The Columbus Dispatch . Retrieved February 1, 2025.
  57. ↑ Strubinger, Lee (January 10, 2025). "Johnson to seek Secretary of State reelection". SDPB . Retrieved May 29, 2025.
  58. ↑
  59. ↑ Thompson, Chad (August 20, 2025). "Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski announces run for lieutenant governor". WKOW. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
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