JoCasta Zamarripa (D) defeated Jay Schroeder (R) and Pete Karas (G) in the general election for Wisconsin secretary of state on November 3, 2026. Click here for detailed results. Incumbent Sarah Godlewski (D) ran for lieutenant governor of Wisconsin. According to the Wisconsin Examiner, this was the first time in more than 40 years that the incumbent did not run for re-election.

In Wisconsin, the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission conducts elections, making the state one of 13 where the secretary of state does not oversee elections. The secretary of state manages the state's official records and serves on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands. The secretary of state previously conducted elections; however, the state legislature removed this power when it created the first of three election boards and/or commissions in 1974. Zamarripa said, "We have a Wisconsin Election Commission. Things are running smoothly, and I don’t intend to ask for that to be put under the umbrella of the secretary of state." Schroeder campaigned on dismantling the Wisconsin Elections Commission, saying, "The current system is an arbitrary disaster that lacks the transparency Wisconsinites deserve. [I am] committed to ... Moving the role of Chief Election Official back to the Secretary of State."

In September 2026, Sabato's Crystal Ball's Louis Jacobson shifted his rating of the office from Toss-up to Leans Democratic, writing, "On the Democratic side, Milwaukee alderwoman and former state Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa was unopposed in the primary. On the Republican side, businessman and activist Jay Schroeder took nearly half the primary vote in a four-way race. Democrats have a small edge here, so we are moving the race to Leans Democratic."

Zamarripa had represented District 8 on the Milwaukee Common Council since 2020. She also represented District 8 in the Wisconsin Senate from 2011 to 2021. According to the Eagle Herald, Zamarripa said she ran "to modernize Wisconsin’s record-keeping office, strengthen its role on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL) and use the position’s bully pulpit to advocate on cost-of-living and worker’s rights."

Schroeder was a real estate and stock market investor and ran for the office in 2022, losing to Amy Loudenbeck in the Republican primary 46.3%-39.9%. Schroeder's campaign website said he "is committed to ... Moving the role of Chief Election Official back to the Secretary of State. ... Implementing rigorous records transparency so every citizen can trust the process. ... [and] Removing the 'bureaucratic shield' of the WEC to ensure that election officials are accountable to the people, not political appointees."

This election, along with the elections for governor and attorney general, determined Wisconsin's triplex status. Heading into the 2026 election, Democrats had a triplex in Wisconsin. Because Democrats won all three elections, they maintained a triplex. If Republicans had won at least one of the three, Democrats would not have maintained a triplex. If Republicans had won all three, they would have gained a triplex. As of November 3, 2026, there were 24 Republican triplexes, 21 Democratic triplexes, and five divided governments where neither party held triplex control.

This was one of 26 secretary of state elections that took place in 2026. Thirty-five of 50 states hold elections for secretary of state. Click here for an overview of all 26 secretary of state elections taking place in 2026. Heading into the election, Republicans held 25 secretary of state offices, while Democrats held 22.