Secretary of State (state executive office)
The secretary of state is a state-level position in 47 of the 50 states. The position does not exist in Alaska, Hawaii and Utah. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia, the office is called the secretary of the commonwealth and differs only in name. The voters directly elect the secretary of state in 35 states. In the other 12, the secretary is appointed by either the governor or the state legislature.
The position's duties are generally administrative, and no two states have identical responsibilities delegated to the secretary of state. Many are tasked with keeping state records, from registering businesses to recording the official acts of the governor. The officeholder also often serves as the chief election official in their state, administering state elections and maintaining official election results. The commissioning and regulation of notaries public, keeping of the official state seal, and certification of official documents all typically fall under the purview of the secretary of state.
Political parties
The chart below is a breakdown of the political parties of current secretaries of state. For other state executive offices, click here.
| Office |  Democratic
|
 Republican
|
 Independent
|
Nonpartisan | Vacancy | Total seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Secretary of State | 21 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 |
| Counts current as of May 2024. If you see an error, please email us. | ||||||
Current officeholders
List of Secretaries of State
This list includes the 47 current secretaries of state.
List of All Current State Secretaries of State in the United States:
Comparison across states
Method of selection
Although the position of secretary of state is popularly elected in the majority of states, it is an appointed position in 12 states. Of those 12, the governor is given the power of appointment in nine, while the state Legislature appoints the secretary of state in the remaining three.
Partisan affiliation
Compensation
According to compensation figures for 2022 compiled by the Council of State Governments in the Book of the States, the highest salary for a secretary of state is $222,252 in Tennessee, while the lowest is $70,000 in Arizona. To view the compensation of a specific secretary of state, hover your mouse cursor over the state.
In 37 states, the secretary of state is the chief elections officer with ultimate oversight over state elections and voter registration.[1]
Ballot measures
In 23 states, the secretary of state is responsible for receiving and certifying ballot measure petitions.[1]
Political party eligibility
In 36 states, the secretary of state is responsible for determining which parties qualify for major-party ballot access.[1]
Term limits
Sixteen states impose some form of term limits on the office of secretary of state.
Historical control
In 1977, the Democratic Party held a total of 25 elected secretary of state offices to the Republican Party's 10. The Democratic lead in secretary of state offices narrowed somewhat throughout the 1980s, but once again reached a 25-10 majority of elected offices in 1989 and 1990. Following the 1994 midterm elections, the Republican Party gained an 18-17 majority of elected secretary of state offices. The Democrats would regain their lead following the 2008 presidential election but lose it once again in the 2010 midterm elections. The gap between the parties widened following the 2016 elections, which increased the Republican majority of elected secretary of state offices from 21-14 to 24-11.
Election history
2024
- See also: Secretary of State elections, 2024
Seven states are holding elections for secretary of state in 2024:
2023
- See also: Secretary of State elections, 2023
Three states held elections for secretary of state in 2023:
2022
- See also: Secretary of State elections, 2022
Twenty-seven states held elections for secretary of state in 2022:
2021
- See also: State executive official elections, 2021
No state held elections for secretary of state in 2021.
2020
- See also: Secretary of State elections, 2020
Seven states held elections for secretary of state in 2020:
2019
- See also: Secretary of State elections, 2019
Three states held elections for secretary of state in 2019:
2018
- See also: Secretary of State elections, 2018
Twenty-six states held elections for secretary of state in 2018.
2017
No states held secretary of state elections in 2017.
2016
- See also: Secretary of State elections, 2016
| 2016 Secretary of State elections | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 8, 2016 | After the 2016 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 20 | 17 | |
| Republican Party | 27 | 30 | |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 47 | 47 | |
Eight states held elections for secretary of state in 2016:
2015
- See also: State executive official elections, 2015
Three states were holding elections for secretary of state in 2015: Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi. All three incumbent secretaries of state won re-election.
2014
- Main article: State executive official elections, 2014
Twenty-six states held regularly scheduled secretary of state elections in the 2014 electoral cycle:
2013
There were no elections for secretaries of state in 2013.
2012
- Main article: State executive official elections, 2012
Seven states held secretary of state elections in the 2012 electoral cycle: Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.
Heading into the November election, Democrats held six of the seats and the Republicans held one. Five incumbents sought re-election, and two—Robin Carnahan (MO) and lone Republican secretary Sam Reed (WA)—retired from office at the end of their terms. Incumbent Vermont Secretary Jim Condos (D) was unopposed for re-election, and Montana Secretary Linda McCulloch (D) won a re-election challenge against her predecessor, Republican Brad Johnson, whom she unseated in the 2008 general election by a slim margin of victory.
2011
- Main article: Secretary of State elections, 2011
Three states, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi, held secretary of state elections in the 2011 electoral cycle.
The Kentucky secretary of state election of 2011 was held on November 8, 2011, following a primary election on May 17, 2011. Democratic attorney Alison Lundergan Grimes defeated Todd County businessman and teacher Bill Johnson.
The Louisiana secretary of state election of 2011 was decided on October 22, 2011, in the primary election. Incumbent Republican Tom Schedler captured more than 50 percent of the vote in the blanket primary, winning re-election outright. The Louisiana general election was held on Saturday, November 19, 2011, but the office of secretary of state did not appear on the ballot.[2]
The Mississippi secretary of state election of 2011 was held on November 8, 2011, following a primary election on August 2nd, 2011. Incumbent Delbert Hosemann was unopposed; he was slated to face Reform Party candidate John Luke Pannell, but Pannell's name did not appear on the ballot.
2010
- Main article: Secretary of State elections, 2010
Twenty-six secretary of state elections were scheduled for November 2, 2010. Of the 26 seats that were up for election, 15 had been held by a Democrat and 11 by a Republican. In total, Democrats lost six seats.
| Partisan breakdown of Secretaries of State | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Before November 2010 election | After November 2010 election | |||||||
| With 2010 elections | Unelected SOS | Total SOS | Post 2010 elections | Unelected SOS | Total SOS | Gain/loss legislators | |||
| 15 | 11 | 26 | 9 | 10 | 19 | -7 | |||
| 11 | 10 | 21 | 17 | 11 | 28 | +7 | |||
Historical control
In 1977, the Democratic Party held a total of 25 elected secretary of state offices to the Republican Party's 10. The Democratic lead in secretary of state offices narrowed somewhat throughout the 1980s, but once again reached a 25-10 majority of elected offices in 1989 and 1990. Following the 1994 midterm elections, the Republican Party gained an 18-17 majority of elected secretary of state offices. The Democrats would regain their lead following the 2008 presidential election but lose it once again in the 2010 midterm elections. The gap between the parties widened following the 2016 elections, which increased the Republican majority of elected secretary of state offices from 21-14 to 24-11. Democrats picked up 3 net seats in the 2018 elections, and North Dakota incumbent Secretary of State Al Jaeger won re-election as an independent, leaving Republicans with a 20-14 majority. One seat switched from Democrat to Republican in the 2019 elections, one switched from Republican to Democrat in 2020, and Jaeger returned to identifying as a Republican, which returned the margin of elected secretaries of state to 21-14 in favor of Republicans. Democrats gained one elected secretary of state office in the 2022 elections, leaving Republicans with a 20-15 majority.
See also
- National Association of Secretaries of State
- Secretaries of State with term limits
- State executive offices
- State executive official elections, 2022
- State executive official elections, 2023
- State executive official elections, 2024
- Secretary of State elections, 2022
- Secretary of State elections, 2023
- Secretary of State elections, 2024
External links
Footnotes
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