List of female state secretaries of state in the United States

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The following is a list of female secretaries of state of states and territories in the United States.

Contents

Besides those states which do not have separate offices for secretary of state, the states of Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota and South Carolina have never had an appointed nor elected female secretary of state.

List of female state secretaries of state

OfficeholderStatePartyAssumed officeTerm expires
Soledad C. Chacon New Mexico Democratic 19231926
Emma Guy Cromwell Kentucky Democratic 19241928
Fannie S. Herrington Delaware Republican 19251926
Emma Grigsby Meharg Texas Republican 19251927
Florence E. S. Knapp New York Republican January 1, 1925December 31, 1927
Gladys Pyle South Dakota Republican 19271931
Jennie Fortune New Mexico Democratic 19271928
Jane Y. McCallum Texas Republican 19271933
Ella Lewis Kentucky Democratic 19281932
E. A. Perrault New Mexico Republican 19291930
Alice Lee Grosjean Louisiana Democratic 19301932
Elizabeth Coyne South Dakota Republican 19311933
Marguerite P. Baca New Mexico Democratic 19311934
Sara W. Mahan Kentucky Democratic 19321936
Myrtle Morrison South Dakota Democratic 19331937
Ola Babcock Miller Iowa Democratic 19331937
Elizabeth F. Gonzales New Mexico Democratic 19351938
Goldie Wells South Dakota Democratic 19371939
Belle Reeves Washington Democratic 19381948
Sara Crawford Connecticut Republican 19391941
Jessie M. Gonzales New Mexico Democratic 19391942
Olive A. Ringsrud South Dakota Republican 19391943
Sophia O'Hara Pennsylvania Republican 19391943
Chase G. Woodhouse Connecticut Democratic 19411943
Frances B. Redick Connecticut Republican 19431945
Cecilia T. Cleveland New Mexico Democratic 19431946
Mrs. L. M. Larsen South Dakota Republican 19431947
Mary Hart Carr Tennessee Democratic 19441945
Sibyl Pool Alabama Democratic 19441951
Katherine Manton Oklahoma Democratic 19461947
Helen E. Burbank Vermont Republican 19471949
Frances B. Redick Connecticut Republican 19471949
Alicia Valdez Romero New Mexico Democratic 19471950
Annamae Riff South Dakota Republican 19471951
Thelma Y. Gordon Virginia Democratic 19481952
Winifred McDonald Connecticut Democratic 19491951
Vivian V. Simpson Maryland Democratic 19491951
Alice K. Leopold Connecticut Republican 19511953
Beatrice Roach Gottlieb New Mexico Democratic 19511954
Agnes Baggett Alabama Democratic 19511955
Geraldine Ostroot South Dakota Republican 19511957
Virginia Paul Holm Minnesota Republican 19521925
Martha Bell Conway Virginia Democratic 19521970
Glenn M. Wise Wisconsin Republican 19551957
Natalie Smith Buck New Mexico Democratic 19551958
Mary Texas Hurt Garner Alabama Democratic 19551959
Mildred P. Allen Connecticut Republican 19551959
Thelma Stovall Kentucky Democratic 19561960
Helen F. Holt West Virginia Republican 19571958
Clara Halls South Dakota Republican 19571959
Selma Sandless South Dakota Democratic 19591961
Betty Fiorina New Mexico Democratic 19591962
Bettye Frink Alabama Democratic 19591963
Caroline K. Simon New York Republican January 1, 1959August 22, 1963
Ella T. Grasso Connecticut Democratic 19591971
Nancy Hall Arkansas Democratic 19611963
Essie Wiedenman South Dakota Republican 19611965
Alberta Miller New Mexico Democratic 19631966
Agnes Baggett Alabama Democratic 19631967
Thyra Thomson Wyoming Republican January 1963January 1987
Thelma Stovall Kentucky Democratic 19641968
Alma Larson South Dakota Republican 19651973
Elwill M. Shanahan Kansas Republican 19661978
Ernestine Durán Evans New Mexico Democratic 19671970
Mabel Sanders Amos Alabama Democratic 19671975
Leila Feltner Begley Kentucky Republican 19701971
Cynthia Newman Virginia Republican 19701974
Betty Fiorina New Mexico Democratic 19711974
C. Delores Tucker Pennsylvania Democratic 19711977
Gloria Schaffer Connecticut Democratic 19711978
Thelma Stovall Kentucky Democratic 19721976
Lorna B. Herseth South Dakota Democratic 19731979
Dorothy Glisson Florida Democratic 19741975
Patricia R. Perkinson Virginia Republican 19741978
Mary Estill Buchanan Colorado Republican 19741983
Ernestine Durán Evans New Mexico Democratic 19751978
Agnes Baggett Alabama Democratic 19751979
March Fong Eu California Democratic January 6, 1975May 7, 1994
Joan Growe Minnesota Democratic (DFL) 19751999
Norma Paulus Oregon Republican January 3, 1977January 7, 1985
Rose Mofford Arizona Democratic October 20, 1977April 5, 1988
Ethel D. Allen Pennsylvania Republican 19791979
Shirley Hooper New Mexico Democratic 19791982
Alice Kundert South Dakota Republican 19791986
Jeannette Edmondson Oklahoma Democratic 19791987
Vel Phillips Wisconsin Democratic January 3, 1979May 3, 1983
Barbara Kennelly Connecticut Democratic 19791982
Frances Jones Mills Kentucky Democratic 19801984
Mary Jane Odell Iowa Republican 19801987
Marilyn Lussen (acting)Virginia Republican 19811982
Laurie Naismith Virginia Democratic 19821985
Maura L. Melley Connecticut Democratic 19821983
Patricia G. Holtz Maryland Democratic 19821983
Jane Burgio New Jersey Republican 19821990
Clara Padilla Jones New Mexico Democratic 19831986
Susan Farmer Rhode Island Republican 19831987
Lorraine M. Sheehan Maryland Democratic 19831987
Julia Tashjian Connecticut Democratic 19831991
Gail S. Shaffer New York Democratic January 1, 1983January 4, 1995
Natalie Meyer Colorado Republican 19831995
Myra McDaniel Texas Republican 19841987
Barbara Roberts Oregon Democratic January 7, 1985January 14, 1991
Sandra Bowen Virginia Democratic 19861990
Joyce Hazeltine South Dakota Republican 19862003
Rebecca Vigil-Giron New Mexico Democratic 19871990
Hannah D. Atkins Oklahoma Democratic 19871991
Kathleen S. Connell Rhode Island Democratic 19871993
Elaine Baxter Iowa Democratic 19871995
Kathy Karpan Wyoming Democratic January 1987January 1995
Frankie Sue Del Papa Nevada Democratic 19871991
Joan Haberle New Jersey Democratic 19901992
Pamela M. Womack Virginia Democratic 19901993
Pauline R. Kezer Connecticut Republican 19911995
Cheryl Lau Nevada Republican 19911995
Stephanie Gonzales New Mexico Democratic 19911998
Brenda K. Mitchell Pennsylvania Democratic 19921994
Ruby Grant Martin Virginia Democratic 19931994
Judith Moriarty Missouri Democratic 19931994
Barbara Leonard Rhode Island Republican 19931995
Betsy Davis Beamer Virginia Republican 19941998
Glo Henley Oklahoma Democratic 19941995
Lonna Hooks New Jersey Republican 19941998
Rebecca McDowell Cook Missouri Democratic 19942001
Sue Anne Gilroy Indiana Republican 19942002
Yvette Kane Pennsylvania Democratic 19951998
Victoria Buckley Colorado Republican 19951999
Sandra Mortham Florida Republican 19951999
Diana J. Ohman Wyoming Republican January 1995January 1999
Jane Dee Hull Arizona Republican January 3, 1995September 5, 1997
Sharon M. Priest Arkansas Democratic 19952003
Janice H. Faulkner North Carolina Democratic 19961997
Elaine Marshall North Carolina Democratic January 3, 1997
Betsey Bayless Arizona Republican September 5, 1997January 6, 2003
Carol Cronheim (Acting)New Jersey Republican 19981999
Anne Petera Virginia Republican 19982002
Katherine Harris Florida Republican 19992002
Kim Pizzingrilli Pennsylvania Republican 19992002
Donetta Davidson Colorado Republican 19992005
Rebecca Vigil-Giron New Mexico Democratic 19992006
Cathy Cox Georgia Democratic 19992007
Mary Kiffmeyer Minnesota Republican 19972007
Deborah Markowitz Vermont Democratic 19992011
Susan Bysiewicz Connecticut Democratic 19992011
Harriet Smith Windsor Delaware Democratic 20012009
Kay Dudley Oklahoma Republican 20022003
Gwyn Shea Texas Republican 20022003
Anita Rimler Virginia Democratic 20022006
Regena Thomas New Jersey Democratic 20022006
Glenda Hood Florida Republican 20032005
Nancy Worley Alabama Democratic 20032007
Jan Brewer Arizona Republican January 6, 2003January 21, 2009
M. Susan Savage Oklahoma Democratic 20032011
Cathy Mitchell California (acting) Democratic 20052005
Sue M. Cobb Florida Republican 20052007
Gigi Dennis Colorado Republican 20052007
Mary D. Kane Maryland Republican 20052007
Betty Ireland West Virginia Republican 20052009
Robin Carnahan Missouri Democratic 20052013
Katherine Hanley Virginia Democratic 20062010
Nina Mitchell Wells New Jersey Democratic 20062010
Karen Handel Georgia Republican 19992007
Esperanza Andrade Texas Republican 20082012
Mary Herrera New Mexico Democratic 20072010
Jennifer Brunner Ohio Democratic January 8, 2007January 10, 2011
Beth Chapman Alabama Republican 20072013
Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez New York Democratic January 1, 2007September 1, 2010
Debra Bowen California Democratic January 8, 2007January 4, 2015
Kate Brown Oregon Democratic January 5, 2009February 18, 2015
Linda McCulloch Montana Democratic 20092017
Natalie Tennant West Virginia Democratic 20092017
Dawn K. Roberts
Interim
Florida Republican 20102011
Ruth Noemí Colón New York Democratic September 1, 2010May 2, 2011
Janet Vestal Kelly Virginia Republican 20102014
Kim Guadagno New Jersey Republican 20102018
Jennifer Kennedy
Interim
Florida Republican 20112011
Denise Merrill Connecticut Democratic January 5, 2011June 30, 2022
Elaine Waler Kentucky Democratic 20112012
Carol Aichele Pennsylvania Republican 20112015
Dianna Duran New Mexico Republican 20112015
Alison Grimes Kentucky Democratic January 2, 20122020
Connie Lawson Indiana Republican March 16, 2012March 16, 2021
Michelle Day (Interim)Oklahoma Republican 20132013
Kim Wyman Washington Republican January 16, 2013November 19, 2021
Nandita Berry Texas Republican 20142015
Mary Quintana New Mexico (Acting)20152015
Barbara Cegavske Nevada Republican January 5, 20152023
Shantel Krebs South Dakota Republican 20152019
Michele Reagan Arizona Republican January 5, 2015January 7, 2019
Jeanne Atkins Oregon Democratic March 11, 2015January 2, 2017
Karen Wheeler Wyoming (Acting) Republican 20182018
Kathy Boockvar
Acting
Pennsylvania Democratic January 5, 20192021
Nellie Gorbea Rhode Island Democratic January 6, 20152023
Rossana Rosado New York Democratic February 22, 20162021
Kelly Thomasson Virginia Democratic April 15, 2016January 15, 2022
Maggie Toulouse Oliver New Mexico Democratic December 9, 2016
Robyn Crittenden Georgia Republican 20182019
Tahesha Way New Jersey Democratic January 16, 2018
Jennifer Kennedy
Interim
Florida Republican 20192019
Jocelyn Benson Michigan Democratic January 1, 2019
Katie Hobbs Arizona Democratic January 7, 2019January 2, 2023
Jena Griswold Colorado Democratic January 8, 2019
Ruth R. Hughs Texas Republican 20192021
Laurel Lee Florida Republican January 28, 2019May 16, 2022
Leslie Cummings
Acting
Oregon Republican February 26, 2019March 31, 2019
Bev Clarno Oregon Republican March 31, 2019January 4, 2021
Holli Sullivan Indiana Republican 20212022
Christi Jacobsen Montana Republican 2021
Shirley Weber California Democratic 2021
Shenna Bellows Maine Democratic 2021
Veronica Degraffenreid (acting)Pennsylvania Democratic 20212022
Shemia Fagan Oregon Democratic 20212023
Kay Coles James Virginia Republican 20222023
Monae Johnson South Dakota Republican 2022
Leigh M. Chapman (acting)Pennsylvania Democratic 20222023
Jane Nelson Texas Republican 2023
Sarah Copeland-Hanzas Vermont Democratic 2023
Sarah Godlewski Wisconsin Democratic 2023
LaVonne Griffin-Valade Oregon Democratic 2023
Cheryl Myers (Acting)Oregon Democratic 20232023
Kelly Gee (Acting)Virginia Republican September 1, 20232026
Nancy Landry Louisiana Republican January 8, 20242028

List of female lieutenant governors

Certain states do not have a secretary of state; instead the lieutenant governor is responsible for those duties.

OfficeholderStatePartyAssumed officeTerm expires
Jean King Hawaii Democratic December 2, 1978December 2, 1982
Olene Walker Utah Republican January 4, 1993November 5, 2003
Mazie Hirono Hawaii Democratic December 2, 1994December 2, 2002
Fran Ulmer Alaska Democratic December 5, 1994December 2, 2002
Valerie Davidson Alaska Independent October 16, 2018December 3, 2018
Deidre Henderson Utah Republican 2021
Nancy Dahlstrom Alaska Republican 2022
Sylvia Luke Hawaii Democratic 2023

Female territorial secretaries of state

OfficeholderTerritoryPartyAssumed officeTerm expires
Lauren Vaughan District of Columbia Democratic January 2, 2015December 11, 2018

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