Secretary of the State of Connecticut

Secretary of the State of Connecticut
Secretary of the State of Connecticut
	Seal of the Secretary of the State
	Incumbent; Stephanie Thomas ; since January 4, 2023
Type	Secretary
Term length	4 years
Formation	1639
First holder	Edward Hopkins
Website	Official homepage of the Connecticut Secretary of the State

Last updated November 23, 2024

The secretary of the state of Connecticut is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Connecticut. (The definite article is part of the legal job title.) It is an elected position in the state government and has a term length of four years.

The Legislation and Elections Administration Division, which administers elections and ensures compliance with state and federal election laws. This division is also responsible for maintaining governmental records, administering the Seal of Connecticut, and licensing notaries public.^[1]
The Commercial Recording Division, which charters corporations and other business entities, registers trademarks, service marks, and liens under the Uniform Commercial Code, and issues apostilles.

List of secretaries of state of Connecticut

Before statehood

Name	Town	Term of service	Years of service
Edward Hopkins	Hartford	1639–1641	2 yrs.
Thomas Welles	Hartford	1641–1648	7 yrs.
John Cullick	Hartford, O	1648–1658	10 yrs.
Daniel Clark	Windsor, O	1658–1664, 1665–1667	8 yrs.
John Allyn	Hartford, O	1664–1665, 1667–1696	30 yrs.
Eleazer Kimberly	Glastonbury, O	1696–1709	13 yrs.
William Whiting	Hartford, O	1709	3 mo.
Caleb Stanly	Hartford, O	1709–1712	3 yrs.
Richard Lord	Hartford, O	1712	17 d.
Hezekiah Wyllys	Hartford, O	1712–1735	23 yrs.
George Wyllys	Hartford, O	1735–1796	61 yrs.

Since statehood

Connecticut ratified the United States Constitution and gained statehood in 1788.

Name	Town	Political party	Term of service
George Wyllys	Hartford		1788–1796
Samuel Wyllys	Hartford		1796–1810
Thomas Day	Hartford		1810–1835
Royal Ralph Hinman	Southbury		1835–1842
Noah A. Phelps	Hartford		1842–1844
Daniel P. Tyler	Pomfret		1844–1846
Charles W. Bradley	Hartford		1846–1847
John B. Robertson	New Haven		1847–1849
Roger H. Mills	N. Hartford	Whig	1849–1850
Hiram Weed	Danbury	Democratic	1850
John P. C. Mather	New London	Democratic	1850–1854
Oliver H. Perry	Fairfield	Whig	1854–1855
Nehemiah D. Sperry	New Haven	American	1855–1857
Orville H. Platt	Meriden	American, Republican	1857–1858
John Boyd	Winchester	Republican	1858–1861
James Hammond Trumbull	Hartford	Republican	1861–1866
Leverett E. Pease	Somers	Union	1866–1869
Hiram Appleman	Groton	Republican	1869–1870
Thomas M. Waller	New London	Democratic	1870–1871
Hiram Appleman	Groton	Republican	1871–1873
D. W. Edgecomb	Fairfield	Republican	1873
Marvin H. Sanger	Canterbury	Democratic	1873–1877
Dwight Morris	Bridgeport	Democratic	1877-–1879
David Torrance	Derby	Republican	1879–1881
Charles E. Searls	Thompson	Republican	1881–1883
D. Ward Northrop	Middletown	Democratic	1883–1885
Charles A. Russell	Killingly	Republican	1885–1887
Leverett M. Hubbard	Wallingford	Republican	1887–1889
R. Jay Walsh	Greenwich	Republican	1889–1893
John J. Phelan	Bridgeport	Democratic	1893–1895
William C. Mowry	Norwich	Republican	1895–1897
Charles Phelps	Rockville	Republican	1897–1899
Huber Clark	Willimantic	Republican	1899–1901
Charles G. R. Vinal	Middletown	Republican	1901–1905
Theodore Bodenwein	New London	Republican	1905–1909
Matthew H. Rogers	Bridgeport	Republican	1909–1913
Albert Phillips	Stamford	Democratic	1913–1915
Charles D. Burnes	Greenwich	Republican	1915–1917
Frederick L. Perry	New Haven	Republican	1917–1921
Donald J. Warner	Salisbury	Republican	1921–1923
Francis A. Pallotti	Hartford	Republican	1923–1929
William L. Higgins	Coventry	Republican	1929–1933
John A. Danaher	Hartford	Republican	1933–1935
C. John Satti	New London	Democratic	1935–1939
Sara B. Crawford	Westport	Republican	1939–1941
Chase G. Woodhouse	New London	Democratic	1941–1943
Frances B. Redick	Newington	Republican	1943–1945
Charles J. Prestia	New Britain	Democratic	1945–1947
Frances B. Redick	Newington	Republican	1947–1949
Winifred McDonald	Waterbury	Democratic	1949–1951
Alice K. Leopold	Weston	Republican	1951–1953
Charles B. Keats	Bridgeport	Republican	1953–1955
Mildred P. Allen	Hartford	Republican	1955–1959
Ella Grasso	Windsor Locks	Democratic	1959–1971
Gloria Schaffer	Woodbridge	Democratic	1971–1978
Henry S. Cohn	West Hartford	Democratic	1978–1979
Barbara B. Kennelly	Hartford	Democratic	1979–1982
Maura L. Melley	Wethersfield	Democratic	1982–1983
Julia Tashjian	Windsor	Democratic	1983–1991
Pauline R. Kezer	Plainville	Republican	1991–1995
Miles S. Rapoport	West Hartford	Democratic	1995–1999
Susan Bysiewicz	Middletown	Democratic	1999–2011
Denise Merrill	Mansfield	Democratic	2011–2022
Mark Kohler	North Haven	Democratic	2022–2023
Stephanie Thomas	Norwalk	Democratic	2023–present

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina Secretary of State</span> Political office in North Carolina, United States

The North Carolina Secretary of State is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of North Carolina, and is fourth in the line of succession to the office of Governor of North Carolina. The secretary maintains the official journal of the North Carolina General Assembly and is responsible for overseeing land records, chartering corporations, and administering some commercial regulations. The incumbent is Elaine Marshall, a Democrat and the first woman elected to the office.

The secretary of state of California is the chief clerk of the U.S. state of California, overseeing a department of 500 people. The secretary of state is elected for four year terms, like the state's other constitutional officers; the officeholder is restricted by term limits to two terms. The current secretary of state is Shirley Weber, who assumed the role in 2021 after Alex Padilla's appointment to the US Senate.

The secretary of state is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the secretary of the commonwealth. In states that have one, the secretary of state is the chief administrative officer of the state and is often the primary custodian of important state records. In the states of Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah, there is no secretary of state; in those states many duties that a secretary of state might normally execute fall within the domain of the lieutenant governor. Like the lieutenant governor, in most states, the secretary of state is in the line of succession to succeed the governor, in most cases immediately behind the lieutenant governor. In three states with no lieutenant governor as well as the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, the secretary of state is first in the line of succession in the event of a gubernatorial vacancy.

The Michigan Department of State is administered by the Secretary of State, who is elected on a partisan ballot for a term of four years in gubernatorial elections. The incumbent secretary of state is Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat elected in 2018 and 2022.

The secretary of state of Vermont is one of five cabinet-level constitutional officers in the U.S. state of Vermont which are elected every two years. The secretary of state is fourth in the line of succession to the office of Governor of Vermont. The Office of the Secretary of State is located at 128 State St. in Montpelier. Since 2023, the secretary of state has been Sarah Copeland-Hanzas, a Democrat.

The secretary of state of Rhode Island is an elected office in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. As of 2023, the current secretary of state is Gregg Amore.

The Secretary of State of Indiana is one of five constitutional officers originally designated in Indiana's state constitution of 1816. Since 1851, it has been an elected position. The secretary of state oversees four divisions, and is the third highest constitutional office of the state government. The secretary serves as the state's chief election officer, enforces state securities regulations, regulates automobile dealerships in Indiana, and manages the state business services division. The current office holder is Diego Morales.

The Secretary of State of South Carolina is an elected constitutional officer in the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The secretary of state is the chief clerk of state government in South Carolina and is responsible for registering businesses and trademarks, regulating charities, authorizing cable franchises, commissioning notaries public, and serving as the filing office for municipal records..

The secretary of state of Arizona is an elected position in the U.S. state of Arizona. Since Arizona does not have a lieutenant governor, the secretary stands first in the line of succession to the governorship. The secretary also serves as acting governor whenever the governor is incapacitated or out of state. The secretary is the keeper of the Seal of Arizona and administers oaths of office. The current office holder is Democrat Adrian Fontes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secretary of State of Mississippi</span>

The Mississippi secretary of state is an officer of Mississippi originally established under the Article IV, §14 of Mississippi Constitution of 1817, and was reestablished under Article V, §133 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890.

The secretary of state of Idaho is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is an elected position within the executive branch of the state government. The current secretary of state is Phil McGrane.

The secretary of state of Nebraska is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Nebraska. In Nebraska, the secretary of state is elected for a four-year term. Vacancies are filled by appointment by the governor of Nebraska.

The secretary of state of Louisiana is one of the elected constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Louisiana and serves as the head of the Louisiana Department of State. The position was created by Article 4, Section 7 of the Louisiana Constitution.

The secretary of state of Alabama is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Alabama. The office actually predates the statehood of Alabama, dating back to the Alabama Territory. From 1819 to 1901, the secretary of state served a two-year term until the State Constitution was changed to set the term to four years. Up until 1868 the secretary of state was elected by the Alabama Legislature, but is now popularly elected. The terms and over 1,000 duties of the office are defined by Sections 114, 118, 132, and 134 of the Alabama Constitution and throughout the Code of Alabama.

The secretary of state of Colorado is the secretary of state of the state of Colorado in the United States. The office is one of five elected constitutional offices in the state. The current secretary of state is Democrat Jena Griswold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secretary of State of Nevada</span> Nevada public office

The secretary of state of Nevada is a statewide elected office in the State of Nevada. The secretary of state post is common to many U.S. states. In Nevada, it is a constitutional office.

The secretary of state of Montana is one of the elected constitutional officers of executive branch of the U.S. state of Montana.

The secretary of state of New Mexico is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of New Mexico. Twenty-six individuals have held the office of secretary of state since statehood. Since 1923, every elected New Mexican secretary of state has been a woman. The incumbent is Maggie Toulouse Oliver, a Democrat. Toulouse Oliver's election was forced early due to the resignation of former secretary of state Dianna Duran in October 2015, after criminal charges were filed by the Attorney General's Office alleging Duran converted campaign funds to personal gambling debt.

The secretary of state of West Virginia is an elected office within the U.S. state of West Virginia state government. The secretary of state is responsible for overseeing the state's election process, including voter registration and election results reporting.

The secretary of state of Arkansas is one of the elected constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Arkansas.

References

↑ Overview of the Office of the Secretary of the State

External links

List of past Secretaries of the State of Connecticut, from the Connecticut State Library

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] Overview of the Office of the Secretary of the State

[1]