Democrats won 16 of the 26 secretary of state offices on the ballot in 2026, up from 13, by flipping Georgia, Indiana and Ohio from Republican control. The US secretary of state election results by state show Republicans holding 9 offices, with Kansas still too close to call as Republican Pat Proctor led Democrat Jennifer Day by 48.3% to 47.4% on November 5, 2026.
US Secretary of State Election Results by State 2026 – Introduction
US secretary of state election results by state for 2026 shift control of the offices that run elections in many states. Voters in 26 states picked a secretary of state on November 3, 2026. Democrats and Republicans each held 13 of those offices going in. Democrats now hold 16, Republicans 9, and Kansas remains uncalled. Democrats held Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin, all states Donald Trump won in 2024, and flipped Georgia.
In many states these officials oversee voter rolls and certify results, so the results matter for 2028. This report lists every race, the three flips, the swing against Republicans, the closest contests and the new officials taking office. Figures come from NBC News Decision Desk tallies and state reports as of November 5, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies. Most races had 92% to 99% of the expected vote in, and California had about 64%.
Interesting Facts About the 2026 Secretary of State Elections
Secretary of state offices held, among the 26 on the ballot
Democrats before | █████████████ 13
Democrats after | ████████████████ 16
Republicans before | █████████████ 13
Republicans after | █████████ 9| Fact | 2026 Data |
|---|---|
| Election day | November 3, 2026 |
| Offices on the ballot | 26 |
| Split before the vote | 13 Democrats, 13 Republicans |
| Democratic wins | 16 |
| Republican wins | 9 |
| Uncalled | 1 (Kansas) |
| Flips, all Republican to Democratic | 3 (Georgia, Indiana, Ohio) |
| Largest winning margin | Wyoming, 44.0 points (Republican) |
| Largest Democratic margin | Massachusetts, 42.6 points |
| Closest race | Kansas, 0.9 points |
| Indiana Democratic statewide win | First since 2014 |
Source: NBC News Decision Desk results, Indiana Capital Chronicle and Wikipedia’s 2026 secretary of state elections page, November 3 to 5, 2026.
The table shows a clear Democratic gain. Democrats added 3 offices and Republicans lost 3. No Democratic-held office flipped. The three flips came in states with very different politics. Georgia is a battleground that Trump won in 2024, while Indiana and Ohio lean Republican. Beau Bayh’s win in Indiana ended a streak of 23 Republican statewide victories since 2014.
The margins vary widely. Safe seats produced the largest gaps, including 44.0 points in Wyoming and 42.6 in Massachusetts. Kansas sits at the other end, with a 0.9-point Republican lead. Of the 15 contested Democratic wins, 13 came by more than 5 points. The map shows a party that held every seat it defended and took three more.
2026 Secretary of State Election Results by State: Winners and Margins in All 26 Races
Offices won by party, 2026
Democratic wins | ████████████████ 16
Republican wins | █████████ 9
Uncalled (Kansas) | █ 1| State | Winner | Party | Winner % | Runner-Up % | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Caroleene Dobson | R | 54.6 | 45.4 | R+9.2 |
| Arizona | Adrian Fontes | D | 54.7 | 43.9 | D+10.8 |
| Arkansas | Kim Hammer | R | 55.9 | 39.6 | R+16.3 |
| California | Shirley Weber | D | 65.4 | 34.6 | D+30.8 |
| Colorado | Amanda Gonzalez | D | 59.9 | 37.1 | D+22.8 |
| Connecticut | Stephanie Thomas | D | 63.3 | 36.7 | D+26.6 |
| Georgia | Penny Reynolds | D | 55.7 | 44.3 | D+11.4 |
| Idaho | Phil McGrane | R | 67.4 | 32.6 | R+34.8 |
| Illinois | Alexi Giannoulias | D | 64.5 | 35.5 | D+29.0 |
| Indiana | Beau Bayh | D | 51.8 | 42.6 | D+9.2 |
| Iowa | Paul Pate | R | 53.2 | 46.8 | R+6.4 |
| Kansas (uncalled) | Pat Proctor leads | R | 48.3 | 47.4 | R+0.9 |
| Massachusetts | William Galvin | D | 71.3 | 28.7 | D+42.6 |
| Michigan | Garlin Gilchrist | D | 53.7 | 43.6 | D+10.1 |
| Minnesota | Steve Simon | D | 54.7 | 41.8 | D+12.9 |
| Nebraska | Scott Petersen | R | 54.0 | 40.3 | R+13.7 |
| Nevada | Cisco Aguilar | D | 56.9 | 39.4 | D+17.5 |
| New Mexico | Amanda López Askin | D | 60.9 | 39.1 | D+21.8 |
| North Dakota | Michael Howe | R | 62.1 | 37.9 | R+24.2 |
| Ohio | Allison Russo | D | 50.3 | 46.8 | D+3.5 |
| Rhode Island | Gregg Amore | D | Unopposed | n/a | n/a |
| South Carolina | Mark Hammond | R | 52.9 | 47.1 | R+5.8 |
| South Dakota | Heather Baxter | R | 58.4 | 36.1 | R+22.3 |
| Vermont | Sarah Copeland Hanzas | D | 59.2 | 32.6 | D+26.6 |
| Wisconsin | JoCasta Zamarripa | D | 50.6 | 45.6 | D+5.0 |
| Wyoming | Robert Short | R | 67.8 | 23.8 | R+44.0 |
Source: NBC News Decision Desk projections and vote tallies, November 4 to 5, 2026, with 93% to 99% of the expected vote in. California was about 64% in. Counts are unofficial.
Democrats held all 13 offices they defended. The widest Democratic margins came in Massachusetts (42.6), California (30.8), Illinois (29.0), Connecticut and Vermont (26.6 each). In the battlegrounds, the margins ran from 5.0 points in Wisconsin to 17.5 in Nevada. Republicans won nine safe or leaning-safe offices, led by Wyoming at 44.0 and Idaho at 34.8.
Third-party candidates mattered in a few states. Independent Scott Morgan took 4.2% in Kansas, which kept both major candidates under 50%. Greg Ballard, running under the Lincoln Party banner, won 3.6% in Indiana and earned that party four years of ballot status. Rachel Shaw took 8.1% in Vermont, and Tom Pruss took 2.9% in Ohio. In Kansas, Democrat Jennifer Day would need 80.8% of the remaining vote to pass Proctor, with about 15,000 votes outstanding.
2026 Secretary of State Party Flips: Georgia, Indiana and Ohio Turn Democratic
Democratic winning margin in the three flipped offices (points)
Georgia | ███████████████████████ 11.4
Indiana | ██████████████████ 9.2
Ohio | ███████ 3.5| State | Winner | Defeated Republican | Dem % | GOP % | Margin | Late Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Penny Reynolds | Tim Fleming | 55.7 | 44.3 | D+11.4 | Tossup (Oct. 29) |
| Indiana | Beau Bayh | Max Engling | 51.8 | 42.6 | D+9.2 | Tossup (Sept. 9) |
| Ohio | Allison Russo | Robert Sprague | 50.3 | 46.8 | D+3.5 | Leans R (Sept. 9) |
Source: NBC News Decision Desk results, November 5, 2026, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, September and October 2026.
All three flips beat the final ratings. Sabato’s Crystal Ball called Georgia a tossup on October 29, and Reynolds won by 11.4 points. Indiana was a tossup in September, and Bayh won by 9.2. Ohio leaned Republican, and Russo won by 3.5. Reynolds beat Fleming, a Trump-endorsed state representative who had worked for outgoing Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. She will succeed Brad Raffensperger, who left to run for governor.
The Indiana and Ohio wins reach into red states. Bayh took 51.8% in Indiana, with Engling at 42.6% and Ballard at 3.6%. Engling had won the Republican nomination after the party’s convention eliminated incumbent Diego Morales. Russo, a former Ohio House minority leader, took 50.3% in Ohio, with Sprague at 46.8% and Pruss at 2.9%. Sprague is the state treasurer. Indiana Republicans had held the office since 1994.
2026 Secretary of State Swing vs 2022: How Far Republican Vote Shares Fell
Drop in Republican winning share, 2022 to 2026 (points)
Ohio | █████████████████████████ 12.5
Indiana | ███████████████████████ 11.5
Alabama | ███████████████████████ 11.3
South Carolina | █████████████████████ 10.4
Kansas | ████████████████████ 10.1
Georgia | ██████████████████ 8.9
Iowa | ██████████████ 6.9
South Dakota | ███████████ 5.5
Idaho | █████████ 4.7
North Dakota | ██ 1.1| State | GOP Share, 2022 | GOP Share, 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 59.3 | 46.8 | -12.5 |
| Indiana | 54.1 | 42.6 | -11.5 |
| Alabama | 65.9 | 54.6 | -11.3 |
| South Carolina | 63.3 | 52.9 | -10.4 |
| Kansas | 58.4 | 48.3 | -10.1 |
| Georgia | 53.2 | 44.3 | -8.9 |
| Iowa | 60.1 | 53.2 | -6.9 |
| South Dakota | 63.9 | 58.4 | -5.5 |
| Idaho | 72.1 | 67.4 | -4.7 |
| North Dakota | 63.2 | 62.1 | -1.1 |
Source: NBC News Decision Desk results, November 5, 2026, compared with 2022 results compiled in Wikipedia’s secretary of state election tables. Kansas is uncalled.
Republican shares fell in all 10 states with a comparison. The drop averaged about 8.3 points. Ohio fell 12.5, Indiana 11.5 and Alabama 11.3. South Carolina and Kansas fell more than 10 each. Alabama’s 11.3-point slide still left Republican Caroleene Dobson winning by 9.2. In the 2022 results, Republicans had won 60.1% in Iowa and 58.4% in Kansas, both far above 2026 levels.
North Dakota barely moved, with a 1.1-point decline. Idaho’s 4.7-point drop left Republican Phil McGrane at 67.4%. These states show where the swing ran out. Democratic shares rose in Illinois (10.2 points), Connecticut (8.1), Nevada (7.9), New Mexico (6.4) and California (5.4).
Closest 2026 Secretary of State Races: Kansas, Ohio, Wisconsin and South Carolina
Margin in the closest 2026 races (points)
Kansas (uncalled) | ██ 0.9
Ohio | ███████ 3.5
Wisconsin | ██████████ 5.0
South Carolina | ████████████ 5.8
Iowa | █████████████ 6.4
Indiana | ██████████████████ 9.2
Alabama | ██████████████████ 9.2| State | Leader or Winner | Margin | Votes In |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | Pat Proctor (R), uncalled | 0.9 points | 98.7% |
| Ohio | Allison Russo (D) | 3.5 points | 98.0% |
| Wisconsin | JoCasta Zamarripa (D) | 5.0 points | 98.9% |
| South Carolina | Mark Hammond (R) | 5.8 points | 99.0% |
| Iowa | Paul Pate (R) | 6.4 points | 98.7% |
| Indiana | Beau Bayh (D) | 9.2 points | 99.0% |
| Alabama | Caroleene Dobson (R) | 9.2 points | 99.0% |
Source: NBC News Decision Desk, November 5, 2026. Vote percentages are unofficial and may change as counties finish.
Seven races finished within 10 points, and only Kansas remained open. Proctor led by 0.9 points with 98.7% of the expected vote in, and about 15,000 votes were left. Day needs 80.8% of those to pass him. Ohio’s 3.5-point margin came with 98.0% counted. Wisconsin’s 5.0-point margin gave Democrats an office they held by appointment, since Sarah Godlewski took it in 2023.
South Carolina and Iowa show how close red states came. Hammond won South Carolina by 5.8 points against Jason Belton, a result well below Hammond’s 63.3% in 2022. Pate won Iowa by 6.4 points over Ryan Peterman. Indiana and Alabama both landed at 9.2 points. Kansas is the only race on this list still to be called.
2026 Battleground Secretary of State Results: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin and Minnesota
Democratic winning margin in swing-state secretary of state races (points)
Nevada | ███████████████████████████████████ 17.5
Minnesota | ██████████████████████████ 12.9
Georgia | ███████████████████████ 11.4
Arizona | ██████████████████████ 10.8
Michigan | ████████████████████ 10.1
Wisconsin | ██████████ 5.0| State | Winner | Dem % | GOP % | Sabato Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | Cisco Aguilar | 56.9 | 39.4 (Jim Marchant) | Likely D |
| Minnesota | Steve Simon | 54.7 | 41.8 (Tad Jude) | Lean D |
| Georgia | Penny Reynolds | 55.7 | 44.3 (Tim Fleming) | Tossup |
| Arizona | Adrian Fontes | 54.7 | 43.9 (Alexander Kolodin) | Likely D |
| Michigan | Garlin Gilchrist | 53.7 | 43.6 (Anthony Forlini) | Lean D |
| Wisconsin | JoCasta Zamarripa | 50.6 | 45.6 (Jay Schroeder) | Lean D |
Source: NBC News Decision Desk results, November 5, 2026; Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, ratings from September and October 2026. Arizona had 92.1% of the expected vote in.
Democrats swept the battlegrounds. They held Arizona, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin, flipped Georgia and held Minnesota. Every state in the table except Minnesota voted for Trump in 2024. Nevada’s Aguilar won by 17.5 points over Jim Marchant, who ran in 2022 as a 2020 election denier. Fontes beat Kolodin, an Arizona Freedom Caucus member, by 10.8. Gilchrist, the lieutenant governor, beat Macomb County Clerk Forlini by 10.1.
Several races beat their ratings. Sabato rated Michigan and Wisconsin as Lean D and Arizona as Likely D, and all three Democrats won by 5.0 points or more. Sabato said in September that Republican nominations of election deniers had shifted several races toward Democrats. Wisconsin was the closest at 50.6% to 45.6%, with Green candidate Pete Karas also on the ballot.
2026 New Secretaries of State: Incoming Election Officials and Predecessors
New officials by party among states with open or changed offices
Democratic incoming officials | ███████ 7
Republican incoming officials | █████ 5| State | Incoming Official | Party | Predecessor and Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Penny Reynolds | D | Brad Raffensperger left to run for governor |
| Michigan | Garlin Gilchrist | D | Jocelyn Benson, term-limited and elected governor |
| Wisconsin | JoCasta Zamarripa | D | Sarah Godlewski ran for lieutenant governor |
| Ohio | Allison Russo | D | Frank LaRose, term-limited |
| Indiana | Beau Bayh | D | Diego Morales lost renomination |
| Colorado | Amanda Gonzalez | D | Jena Griswold, term-limited |
| New Mexico | Amanda López Askin | D | Maggie Toulouse Oliver, term-limited |
| Alabama | Caroleene Dobson | R | Wes Allen ran for lieutenant governor |
| Arkansas | Kim Hammer | R | Cole Jester, appointed and ineligible |
| Nebraska | Scott Petersen | R | Bob Evnen lost the May primary |
| South Dakota | Heather Baxter | R | Monae Johnson lost at the convention |
| Wyoming | Robert Short | R | Chuck Gray ran for U.S. House |
Source: NBC News Decision Desk, Wikipedia’s 2026 secretary of state elections page and state reports, November 2026. Kansas is excluded because it is uncalled.
The turnover is large. Twelve called races produced a new official, seven Democrats and five Republicans. In Nebraska and South Dakota, the Republican incumbents lost their own party’s nomination. Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin each lose an incumbent who left for another office. Benson won the Michigan governor’s race, and Gilchrist replaces her. Reynolds replaces Raffensperger, who drew Trump’s anger by refusing to overturn Georgia’s 2020 result.
Two Republican wins came from challengers who ran on election security. Petersen beat incumbent Bob Evnen in the Nebraska primary after questioning election security, then won the general with 54.0%. Baxter beat incumbent Monae Johnson at the South Dakota convention, backed hand-counting and won with 58.4%. Both states are safe Republican. According to NBC News, Democrats will hold the office in four presidential swing states heading into 2028, along with Ohio and Indiana.
Frequently Asked Questions About US Secretary of State Election Results by State 2026
Who won the secretary of state elections in 2026?
Democrats won 16 of 26 offices and Republicans won 9. Kansas was uncalled on November 5, 2026, with Republican Pat Proctor leading.
How many secretary of state seats were up in 2026?
26 states elected a secretary of state on November 3, 2026. Democrats and Republicans each held 13 before the vote.
Which secretary of state offices flipped in 2026?
Georgia, Indiana and Ohio flipped from Republican to Democratic. No Democratic-held office flipped.
Who won the Georgia secretary of state race in 2026?
Democrat Penny Reynolds won with 55.7% to Republican Tim Fleming’s 44.3%, an 11.4-point margin.
Who won the Ohio secretary of state race in 2026?
Democrat Allison Russo won with 50.3% to Republican Robert Sprague’s 46.8%, flipping the office from Republican control.
Who won the Indiana secretary of state race in 2026?
Democrat Beau Bayh won with 51.8% to Republican Max Engling’s 42.6%. It is the first Democratic statewide win in Indiana since 2014.
Who won the Arizona secretary of state race in 2026?
Democrat Adrian Fontes won re-election with 54.7% to Republican Alexander Kolodin’s 43.9%.
Who won the Michigan secretary of state race in 2026?
Democrat Garlin Gilchrist won with 53.7% to Republican Anthony Forlini’s 43.6%, succeeding Jocelyn Benson.
Who won the Nevada secretary of state race in 2026?
Democrat Cisco Aguilar won re-election with 56.9% to Republican Jim Marchant’s 39.4%.
Who won the Wisconsin secretary of state race in 2026?
Democrat JoCasta Zamarripa won with 50.6% to Republican Jay Schroeder’s 45.6%.
Is the Kansas secretary of state race decided in 2026?
No. Republican Pat Proctor led Democrat Jennifer Day 48.3% to 47.4% with 98.7% of the expected vote in.
Which secretary of state race had the biggest margin in 2026?
Wyoming, where Republican Robert Short won by 44.0 points. Massachusetts had the largest Democratic margin at 42.6 points.
Which states did Democrats hold in 2026?
Democrats held Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.
Are 2026 secretary of state results official?
No. States certify results later, and counts here are unofficial. California said it will certify by December 11, 2026.
Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.