There are 26 secretary of state elections in 2026. Of these, Democrats and Republicans each control 13. Heading into the 2026 elections, there are 25 Republican secretaries of state and 22 Democratic secretaries of state nationally.

Democrats would need to gain two offices to control a majority of secretary of state offices nationally. Republicans can lose no more than one.

In 47 states — all except Alaska, Hawaii, and Utah — the secretary of state is among the top executive offices. Although the duties and powers of the secretary of state vary from state to state, a common responsibility is the management and oversight of elections and voter rolls. In 37 states, the secretary of state is the chief elections officer with ultimate oversight over state elections and voter registration. Other common responsibilities include registration of businesses, maintenance of state records, and certification of official documents.

This year, the secretary of state is the chief election officer in 23 of the states holding elections for the office. Republicans hold 12 of the offices up for election this year, in states where the secretary of state is the chief elections officer, and Democrats hold 11. Nationally, Republicans hold 22 of the 37 secretary of state offices that oversee elections, and Democrats hold 15.

Battlegrounds:

Ballotpedia identified five states’ elections for secretary of state as battlegrounds.

• Arizona: Incumbent Adrian Fontes (D), Alexander Kolodin (R), and Duwayne Collier (G) are running. Fontes was elected in 2022, defeating Mark Finchem (R) 52.4% to 47.6%. Kolodin has served in the Arizona House of Representatives since 2023. This race is for a Democratic-held seat in a state that President Donald Trump (R) won in the 2024 presidential election. Trump defeated Kamala Harris (D) 52.2% to 46.7% in the state.
• Indiana: Beau Bayh (D), Max Engling (R), Greg Ballard (I), and Lauri Shillings (L) are running. Engling, who was an advisor to U.S. Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), defeated incumbent Diego Morales (R) at the June 20 Republican convention. Bayh is an attorney. His grandfather is a former U.S. Senator, and his father is a former U.S. Senator and governor. Ballard served as mayor of Indianapolis from 2008 to 2016.
• Michigan: Garlin Gilchrist II (D), Anthony Forlini (R), and three others are running. Gilchrist has served as lieutenant governor since 2019. Forlini has served as Macomb County Clerk since 2021. This race is for a Democratic-held seat in a state that Trump won in the 2024 presidential election. Trump defeated Harris 49.7% to 48.3% in the state. In 2022, incumbent Jocelyn Benson (D) defeated Kristina Karamo (R) 55.9% to 41.9%.
• Nevada: Incumbent Cisco Aguilar (D), Jim Marchant (R), Brad Barnhill (Independent American Party), and John T. Kennedy (L) are running. This race is a rematch from 2022, when Aguilar defeated Marchant, a former business owner, 48.9% to 46.7%. This race is for a Democratic-held seat in a state that Trump won in the 2024 presidential election. Trump defeated Harris 50.6% to 47.5% in the state.
• Wisconsin: JoCasta Zamarripa (D), Jay Schroeder (R), and Pete Karas (G) are running in the open race. Zamarripa has served on the Milwaukee Common Council since 2020. Schroeder is a real estate and stock market investor. This race is the first time in more than 40 years that the incumbent is not running for re-election. This race is for a Democratic-held seat in a state that Trump won in the 2024 presidential election. Trump defeated Harris 49.6% to 48.7% in the state. In 2022, Doug La Follette (D) defeated Amy Loudenbeck (R) 48.3% to 48%. After La Follette resigned, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) appointed Sarah Godlewski (D) to the position.

Key Trends to watch:

• Increased attention: In the years since the 2020 presidential election, secretary of state elections have had increased media attention for their election-related duties. According to MultiState, “The secretary of state was once among the least-noticed statewide offices. That changed after the 2020 presidential election, when President Trump's legal team and allied activists targeted state election officials with pressure campaigns to reject or delay certification of results. Secretaries of state found themselves at the center of a sustained, public dispute over election integrity that thrust an otherwise low-profile office into the national spotlight.”
• Incumbent defeats: Three incumbents lost their bids for re-election in primaries or conventions this year. They included Indiana’s Diego Morales (R), Nebraska’s Bob Evnen (R), and South Dakota’s Monae Johnson (R). The election-related duties of each office was an issue in all three contests. Two incumbent secretaries of state lost in conventions in 2022. One incumbent lost a primary in 2018.
• Triplex control: Secretaries of state play a role in determining triplex control. Nationally, there are 24 Republican triplexes, 21 Democratic triplexes, and 5 divided governments where neither party holds triplex control. State government triplex is a term that describes when one political party holds the following three positions in a state's government: governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. Ballotpedia highlights these offices because they are typically the most visible positions in states and serve important administrative functions.
• Open offices: Nine elections are open this year, including four in which the secretary of state is term-limited. Eleven elections were open in 2022 including three in which the secretary of state was term-limited. Eight elections were open in 2018, including three in which the secretary of state was term-limited.

Recent election history:

In 2022, the last time this set of offices was up for election, the partisan control of one secretary of state changed from Republican to Democrat. Democrats also won appointment control over another secretary of state — in Maryland — after winning that state's gubernatorial election.

In Nevada, Aguilar was elected to succeed incumbent Barbara Cegavske (R), who was term-limited. Nevada remained a divided government after the 2022 elections because Joe Lombardo (R) defeated incumbent Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) in that year’s gubernatorial election.

In Maryland, Wes Moore (D) was elected to succeed incumbent Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who was term-limited. This gave Democrats appointment control over the secretary of state's office. At the time of the election, Maryland had a Republican secretary of state whom Hogan appointed. Maryland became a Democratic triplex after the 2022 elections.