[This article was updated 12/7/24]

Secretaries of state can’t single-handedly change an election’s results, but they can undermine and disrupt the process and the system in undemocratic ways.

Knowing your secretaries of state can help you better understand your state’s election procedures and make you a more informed voter.

And keeping up with your secretary of state’s policy actions, especially election-related ones, can help ensure accountability.

The secretary of state is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States.

In three states, there is no secretary of state, so the lieutenant governors perform those duties: Alaska (Republican, Nancy Dahlstrom), Hawaii (Democrat, Sylvia Luke), and Utah (Republican, Deidre Henderson).

Of the 50 current Secretaries of State or Lt. Governors, 28 are Republican, and 22 are Democrats.

In 35 states, the secretary of state is elected by the people and serves a four-year term, except for Vermont, which serves a two-year term.

In the other 12 states, the secretary of state is appointed by either the Governor or the state legislature. Maine and New Hampshire General Courts select their secretaries of state for two-year terms.

Below is a state-by-state breakdown of secretaries of state by voter elected or governor/legislator appointed, political party, state, and reelection year where applicable:

DEMOCRATS UP FOR REELECTION IN NOVEMBER 2026

Arizona (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 4, 2027)
Adrian Fontes
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

California (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 4, 2027)
Shirley Weber
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Terms

Colorado (Voter Elected): (Can’t run due to term limits) (Term ends January 12, 2027)
Jena Griswold
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

Connecticut: (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 6, 2027)
Stephanie Thomas
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Illinois (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 11, 2027)
Alexi Giannoulias
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Massachusetts (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 6, 2027)
William Galvin
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Michigan (Voter Elected): (Can’t run due to term limits) (Term ends January 1, 2027)
Jocelyn Benson
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Terms

Minnesota (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 4, 2027)
Steve Simon
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Nevada: (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 4, 2027)
Cisco Aguilar
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Terms

New Mexico: (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 1, 2027)
Maggie Toulouse Oliver
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

Rhode Island (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 7, 2027)
Gregg Amore
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

Vermont (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 1, 2027)
Sarah Copeland Hanzas
Two-year term
Term limit: None

Wisconsin (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 1, 2027)
Douglas La Follette
Four-year term
Term limit: None

REPUBLICANS UP FOR REELECTION IN NOVEMBER 2026

Alabama (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 18, 2027)  
Wes Allen
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

Arkansas (Voter Elected): (Can’t run due to term limits) (Term ends January 12, 2027)
John Thurston
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Terms

Georgia (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 11, 2027)
Brad Raffensperger
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Idaho (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 4, 2027)
Phil McGrane
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Indiana (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 1, 2027)
Diego Morales
Four-year term
Term limit: Eight out of twelve years

Iowa (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 1, 2027)
Paul Pate
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Kansas (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 11, 2027)
Scott Schwab
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Nebraska (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 7, 2027)
Bob Evnen
Four-year term
Term limit: None

North Dakota (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 1, 2027)
Michael Howe
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Ohio (Voter Elected): (Can’t run due to term limits) (Term ends January 1, 2027)
Frank LaRose
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

South Carolina (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 13, 2027)
Mark Hammond
Four-year term
Term limit: None

South Dakota (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 4, 2027)
Monae Johnson
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

Wyoming (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 4, 2027)
Chuck Gray
Four-year term
Term limit: None

NO DEMOCRATS ARE UP FOR REELECTION IN NOVEMBER 2027

REPUBLICANS UP FOR REELECTION IN NOVEMBER 2027

Kentucky (Voter Elected): (Can’t run due to term limits) (Term ends January 3, 2028)
Michael Adams
Four-year term
Term limit: Two Consecutive Terms

Louisiana (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 10, 2028)
Nancy Landry
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Mississippi (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 6, 2028)
Michael D. Watson, Jr
Four-year term
Term limit: None

DEMOCRATS UP FOR REELECTION IN NOVEMBER 2028

North Carolina (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 1, 2029)
Elaine Marshall
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Oregon (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 1, 2029)
Tobias Read
Four-year term
Term limit: Eight years in a 12-year period

Washington (Voter Elected): (Term ends December 13, 2028)
Steve Hobbs
Four-year term
Term limit: None

REPUBLICANS UP FOR REELECTION IN NOVEMBER 2028

Missouri (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 1, 2029)
Denny Hoskins
Four-year term
Term limit: None

Montana (Voter Elected): (Can’t run due to term limits) (Term ends January 1, 2029)
Christi Jacobsen
Four-year term
Term limit: Two terms in a 16-year period

West Virginia (Voter Elected): (Term ends January 1, 2029)
Kris Warner
Four-year term
Term limit: None

DEMOCRAT SECRETARIES OF STATE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR OR STATE LEGISLATURE

Delaware (Governor Elected)
Jeffrey W. Bullock: Assumed Office on 1/21/09
Length of Term: Serves at the pleasure of the Governor
Term limit: None

Maine (Legislator Elected)
Shenna Bellows: Assumed Office on 1/4/21
Length of Term: Two Years
Term limit: Four Consecutive Terms

Maryland (Governor Elected)
Susan Lee: Assumed Office on 1/18/23
Length of Term: Serves at the pleasure of the Governor
Term limit: None

New Jersey (Governor Elected)
Tahesha Way: Assumed Office on 6/1/18
Length of Term: Serves a term coterminous with the Governor
Term limit: None

New York (Governor Elected)
Walter T. Mosley: Assumed Office on 5/22/24
Length of Term: Until the end of the term of the governor by whom s/he was appointed and until his or her successor is appointed and has qualified
Term limit: None

REPUBLICAN SECRETARIES OF STATE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR OR STATE LEGISLATURE
Florida (Governor Elected)
Cord Byrd: Assumed Office on 5/17/22
Length of Term: Serves at the pleasure of the Governor
Term limit: None

New Hampshire (Legislator Elected)
David Scanlan: Assumed Office on 1/10/22
Length of Term: Two Years
Term limit: None

Oklahoma (Governor Elected)
Josh Cockroft: Assumed Office on 9/15/23
Length of Term: Four Years
Term limit: None

Pennsylvania (Governor Elected)
Al Schmidt: Assumed Office on 6/29/23
Length of Term: Serves at the pleasure of the Governor
Term limit: None

Tennessee (Legislator Elected)
Tre Hargett: Assumed Office on 1/15/09
Length of Term: Four Years
Term limit: None

Texas (Governor Elected)
Jane Nelson: Assumed Office on 1/5/23
Length of Term: Serves concurrent with the appointing Governor
Term limit: None

Virginia (Governor Elected)
Kelly Gee: Assumed Office on 8/30/23
Length of Term: Four years
Term limit: None