Barbara Byrum

This page was current at the end of the official's last term in office covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Barbara Byrum

Democratic Party

Candidate, Michigan Secretary of State

Prior offices:

Michigan House of Representatives District 67

Years in office: 2007 - 2013

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

Michigan State University

Law

Michigan State University

Personal

Profession

Clerk

Contact

Campaign website

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Barbara Byrum (Democratic Party) is running for election for Michigan Secretary of State. She declared candidacy for the general election scheduled on November 3, 2026.^[source]

Byrum (Democratic Party) was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, representing District 67. She assumed office in 2007. She left office in 2013.

Byrum completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Barbara Byrum's career experience includes working as the clerk of Ingham County, Michigan. She earned a bachelor's degree and a law degree Michigan State University.

Committee assignments

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Byrum served on these committees:

• Redistricting and Elections, Vice Chair
• Regulatory Reform
• Statutory Committee on Administrative Rules
• Transportation Member

2009-2010

In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Byrum served on these committees:

• Commerce
• Education
• Health Policy
• Insurance

Elections

2026

See also: Michigan Secretary of State election, 2026

Note: At this time, Ballotpedia is combining all declared candidates for this election into one list under a general election heading. As primary election dates are published, this information will be updated to separate general election candidates from primary candidates as appropriate.

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

General election for Michigan Secretary of State

The following candidates are running in the general election for Michigan Secretary of State on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Barbara Byrum (D)
		Aghogho Edevbie (D)
		Garlin Gilchrist II (D)
		Adam Hollier (D)
		Suzanna Shkreli (D)
		Anthony Forlini (R)
		Timothy Smith (R)

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Byrum received the following endorsements. To view a full list of Byrum's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us additional endorsements, click here.

• Greater Lansing Labor Council (AFL-CIO)
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 352
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 665
• Plumbers & Pipefitters United Association (UA) Local 333
• Plumbers & Pipefitters United Association (UA) Local 370
• Plumbers & Pipefitters United Association (UA) Local 636
• Plumbers & Pipefitters United Association (UA) Local 85
• United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) 951
• Muskegon County, Mich., Progressive Women's Caucus

2010

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2010

Byrum ran for re-election to the District 67 seat in 2010. She had no primary opposition. She defeated Jeff Oesterle in the general election on November 2, 2010.

Michigan House of Representatives, District 67 General election (2010)
Candidates		Votes
Barbara Byrum (D)		17,823
Jeff Oesterle (R)		15,962

2008

On November 4, 2008, Barbara Byrum ran for District 67 of the Michigan House of Representatives, beating Mike Herter and Vince Dragonetti.

Barbara Byrum raised $110,360 for her campaign.

Michigan House of Representatives, District 67
Candidates		Votes
Barbara Byrum (D)		30,717
Mike Herter (R)		16,800
Vince Dragonetti (L)		1,347

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Barbara Byrum completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Byrum's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am serving in my fourth term as Ingham County Clerk, acting as the County's Chief Elections Official. As the Clerk of one of the most populous counties in Michigan, I have successfully conducted 42 elections, 10 union elections, and many recounts.

I am a member of Election Center's Ethics Project Focus Group and Security Committee. I have lent my expertise to Michigan's Election Security Commission, and the Secretary of State's Election Policy Work Group, working with election officials across the state to navigate changes to election law and secure Michigan's Elections.

I have been a fervent advocate for the voting rights of qualified, registered voters, focusing on historically disenfranchised voters. I am a member of the Overseas Voting Initiative, an effort to improve the process of voting by members of the military and civilians living abroad.

I previously served three terms as a Michigan State Representative, for the 67th House District. In my time in the Legislature, I served as the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Redistricting and Elections.

I am also a former small business owner, operating a hardware store for nearly 20 years.

I graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Agribusiness Management and a law degree from MSU College of Law. Since 2016, I am a credentialed Certified Elections/Registration Administrator by Election Center, the only nationally recognized accreditation for election administration.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Most residents interact with the Secretary of State’s Office to obtain or renew their vehicle tabs and plates and Driver’s license. As Secretary of State, my job will be to offer the best customer service experience to those residents and make the process easy. That means further improving the online experience, cutting down wait times and providing in-person options including mobile offices, and making sure that our staff are courteous and treating residents respectfully. I owned a hardware business for 20 years and I know that the customer experience is the most important key for a successful small business owner. I will bring that mentality to the Secretary of State’s office and ensure that our residents leave my office with a smile.
• Michigan needs a Secretary of State who has practical experience running elections, someone who can defend our processes against misinformation and disinformation. I am the only candidate who has practical experience. We need a Secretary of State that we can trust to deliver safe and secure elections, as we have always done. As Ingham County Clerk for the last 12 years, I have conducted over 40 elections, numerous recounts, and each election was certified by bipartisan Boards of Canvassers. I have the knowledge and expertise to step in and run our elections as Secretary of State on Day One. I have also been vocal, dispelling election myths, and fighting those who attack our Democracy, and would continue to do so as Secretary of State.
• Michigan’s voters deserve transparency to know who is influencing our elected officials and candidates and the Michigan Secretary of State plays a key role in ensuring this information is available to voters. As Ingham County Clerk, I implemented an online campaign finance system that provides this clarity to the voters, easily allowing candidates to submit reports, and the public to view them. The statewide system that was released should have gone through more significant testing and now needs an overhaul to make it user friendly and to eliminate bugs. I also believe that a system without enforcement is toothless, and I would seek to crack down on those who are in violation of campaign finance law, as I have as Ingham County Clerk.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am extremely passionate about our elections here in Michigan. In addition to my duties as Ingham County Clerk, I am a Certified Elections Registration Administrator and participate in several state and national committees including the Michigan Election Security Task Force, organized by Secretary of State Benson, and the Overseas Voter Initiative, helping to break down barriers for our military and overseas civilians who wish to participate in our elections.

Long before this campaign, I have travelled the state to meet with groups who wish to learn more about our elections and have provided training and seminars on a wide range of topics including election security, campaign finance, and many more.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, integrity, accessibility and the ability to solicit feedback and learn from other people’s experiences.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was in my family’s hardware store, which I did for 36 years in every role from cashier all the way up until I took ownership. I believe that this has truly prepared me for a role in public service because it instilled customer service as core value within me that I bring to every day of my life as an elected official.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe that having experience in government and elections is of key importance to this position. Election law is a very technical field and understanding the practical application of that law is critical to being able to run safe and secure elections in our state. To that end, having political and legislative experience is also beneficial because the Secretary of State will have to work with the Legislature to enact any reforms or changes necessary to continue administering our elections well.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

UFCW 951, Plumbers & Pipefitters UA Local 333, UA Local 85, UA Local 370, UA Local 636, IBEW Locals 665 and 352, Greater Lansing Labor Council, Progressive Democratic Women's Caucus of Muskegon County. Dozens of election administrators (county and local clerks), numerous current and former legislators and local officials representing a diverse array of communities across Michigan.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.

Scorecards

Tea Party Scorecard

The Independent Tea Party Patriots, a Michigan Tea Party group, grades the votes of this and every other Michigan legislator on “core tea party issues” in a regularly-updated scorecard. 100 percent is considered an ideal rating.

January 2011 - March 2012

Byrum received an 8 percent rating on the January 2011 - March 2012 Tea Party Scorecard.

Noteworthy events

Silenced after abortion debate

Byrum and fellow Democratic state Rep. Lisa Brown found themselves prohibited from speaking on the House floor during the last day of the 2012 session over comments they made the previous day during debate over a package of abortion regulation bills. Voting against the measure, Brown told supporters of the bill, "I'm flattered you're all so interested in my vagina. But no means no." Meanwhile, Byrum was not allowed to speak on her amendment to regulate vasectomies.

A spokesman for the Republican Party explained that Majority Floor Leader Jim Stamas (R) determined the comments violated the decorum of the House. In response, Brown asked at a press conference, "If I can't say the word vagina, why are we legislating vaginas? What language should I use?"

See also

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	Michigan House of Representatives District 67 2007 – 2013	Succeeded by Tom Cochran (D)

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