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Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2022
| 2022 Democratic Party primary elections |
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| Primaries by state |
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 management and oversight of elections and voter rolls, which are assigned to the secretary of state in 41 states. Other common responsibilities include registration of businesses, maintenance of state records, and certification of official documents. Of the 35 states in which the secretary of state is directly elected, 27 were on the ballot in 2022.
There were 14 Republican-held secretary of state offices and 13 Democratic-held secretary of state offices on the ballot in 2022.
On this page, you will find:
- List of seats up for election
- Election dates by state
- List of Democratic primary candidates by state
- News and conflicts in these primaries
Click here for more on the Republican secretary of state primaries in 2022.
Click here for more on the secretary of state general elections in 2022.
List of seats up for election
There were 14 Republican-held secretary of state offices and 13 Democratic-held secretary of state offices on the ballot in 2022. The table below shows which states held secretary of state elections in 2022.
Table last updated December 20, 2022.
| Secretary of State elections, 2022 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Incumbent | Incumbent running? | Battleground election? | Election winner | Last time office flipped | 2020 presidential result | 2018 election result[1] | 2022 election result |
| Alabama |  John Merrill |
No | No | Wes Allen |
2006 | R+25.4 | R+22.1 | R+34.8 |
| Arizona |  Katie Hobbs |
No | Yes | Adrian Fontes |
2018 | D+0.3 | D+0.8 | D+4.8 |
| Arkansas | John Thurston |
Yes | No | John Thurston |
2010 | R+27.6 | R+24.1 | R+34.2 |
| California | Shirley Weber |
Yes | No | Shirley Weber |
2006 | D+29.2 | D+29.0 | D+20.2 |
| Colorado | Jena Griswold |
Yes | No | Jena Griswold |
2018 | D+13.5 | D+8.0 | D+13.0 |
| Connecticut | Denise Merrill |
No | No | Stephanie Thomas |
1994 | D+20.1 | D+13.4 | D+12.5 |
| Georgia | Brad Raffensperger |
Yes | Yes | Brad Raffensperger |
2006 | D+0.2 | R+3.8 | R+9.2 |
| Idaho | Lawerence Denney |
No | No | Phil McGrane |
1966 | R+30.7 | R+25.0 | R+45.0 |
| Illinois | Jesse White |
No | No | Alexi Giannoulias |
1998 | D+17.0 | D+39.1 | D+9.7 |
| Indiana | Holli Sullivan |
Yes | Yes | Diego Morales |
1994 | R+16.0 | R+15.6 | R+13.9 |
| Iowa | Paul Pate |
Yes | No | Paul Pate |
2010 | R+8.2 | R+7.8 | R+20.2 |
| Kansas | Scott Schwab |
Yes | No | Scott Schwab |
2010 | R+14.6 | R+8.7 | R+19.7 |
| Massachusetts | William Galvin |
Yes | No | William Galvin |
1948 | D+33.5 | D+43.8 | D+37.9 |
| Michigan | Jocelyn Benson |
Yes | Yes | Jocelyn Benson |
2018 | D+2.8 | D+8.9 | D+14.0 |
| Minnesota | Steve Simon |
Yes | Yes | Steve Simon |
2006 | D+7.1 | D+8.7 | D+9.2 |
| Nebraska | Bob Evnen |
Yes | No | Bob Evnen |
1952 | R+19.1 | R+21.2 | R+100.0 |
| Nevada | Barbara Cegavske |
No | Yes | Cisco Aguilar |
2014 | D+2.4 | R+0.7 | D+2.2 |
| New Mexico | Maggie Toulouse Oliver |
Yes | Yes | Maggie Toulouse Oliver |
2016 | D+10.8 | D+20.6 | D+11.9 |
| North Dakota | Al Jaeger |
No | No | Michael Howe |
1992 | R+33.3 | R+8.1 | R+35.8 |
| Ohio | Frank LaRose |
Yes | No | Frank LaRose |
2010 | R+8.1 | R+3.7 | R+20.1 |
| Rhode Island | Nellie Gorbea |
No | No | Gregg Amore |
1994 | D+20.8 | D+34.9 | D+19.2 |
| South Carolina | Mark Hammond |
Yes | No | Mark Hammond |
1990 | R+11.7 | R+14.3 | R+26.8 |
| South Dakota | Steve Barnett |
No | No | Monae Johnson |
1978 | R+26.2 | R+30.4 | R+27.8 |
| Vermont | Jim Condos |
No | No | Sarah Copeland Hanzas |
1998 | D+35.1 | D+33.2 | D+30.0 |
| Washington | Steve Hobbs |
Yes | No | Steve Hobbs |
2021 | D+19.2 | R+7.3 | D+4.0 |
| Wisconsin | Douglas La Follette |
Yes | Yes | Douglas La Follette |
1974 | D+0.7 | D+5.5 | D+0.3 |
| Wyoming | Edward Buchanan |
No | No | Chuck Gray |
1994 | R+43.1 | R+42.0 | R+100.0 |
Election dates
The following table details 2022 secretary of state filing deadlines and primary dates in each state. The signature filing deadline was the date by which candidates had to file nominating signatures with election officials in order to have their name placed on the ballot.
| 2022 Election Dates | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Filing deadline | Primary election | ||||
| Alabama | January 28 | May 24 | ||||
| Arizona | April 4 | August 2 | ||||
| Arkansas | March 1 | May 24 | ||||
| California | March 11 | June 7 | ||||
| Colorado | March 15 | June 28 | ||||
| Connecticut | June 7 | August 9 | ||||
| Georgia | March 11 | May 24 | ||||
| Idaho | March 11 | May 17 | ||||
| Illinois | March 14 | June 28 | ||||
| Indiana | February 4 | May 3 | ||||
| Iowa | March 18 | June 7 | ||||
| Kansas | June 1 | August 2 | ||||
| Massachusetts | June 7 | September 6 | ||||
| Michigan | - | Convention[2] | ||||
| Minnesota | May 31 | August 9 | ||||
| Nebraska | February 15 (incumbent) March 1 (non-incumbent) |
May 10 | ||||
| Nevada | March 18 | June 14 | ||||
| New Mexico | March 24 | June 7 | ||||
| North Dakota | April 11 | June 14 | ||||
| Ohio | February 2 | May 3 | ||||
| Rhode Island | July 15 | September 13 | ||||
| South Carolina | March 30 | June 14 | ||||
| South Dakota | March 29 | June 7 | ||||
| Vermont | May 26 | August 9 | ||||
| Washington | May 20 | August 2 | ||||
| Wisconsin | June 1 | August 9 | ||||
| Wyoming | May 27 | August 16 | ||||
By state
Alabama
Democratic primary candidates
This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:
Arizona
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Arkansas
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
California
Primary candidates
- Shirley Weber (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔
- Robert Bernosky (Republican Party) ✔
- Gary Blenner (Green Party)
- Matthew Cinquanta (Independent)
- Rachel Hamm (Republican Party)
- James Paine (Republican Party)
- Raul Rodriguez Jr. (Republican Party)
- Desmond Silveira (No party preference) (Write-in)
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Colorado
Democratic primary candidates
- Jena Griswold (Incumbent) ✔
Connecticut
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Georgia
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Idaho
Democratic primary candidates
Illinois
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
Indiana
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Iowa
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Kansas
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Massachusetts
Democratic primary candidates
- William Galvin (Incumbent) ✔
- Tanisha Sullivan
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Michigan
In Michigan, political parties nominate candidates for some offices at their conventions instead of holding a primary. Candidates for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, Supreme Court, and the boards of Michigan State University, Wayne State University, the University of Michigan, and the state Board of Education are nominated at conventions.[3]
Minnesota
Democratic primary candidates
- Steve Simon (Incumbent) ✔
- Steve Carlson
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Nebraska
Democratic primary candidates
No candidates filed for the Democratic Party primary.
Nevada
Democratic primary candidates
This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
New Mexico
Democratic primary candidates
- Maggie Toulouse Oliver (Incumbent) ✔
North Dakota
Democratic primary candidates
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Ohio
Democratic primary candidates
Rhode Island
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
South Carolina
Democratic primary candidates
This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
South Dakota
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Vermont
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Wisconsin
Democratic primary candidates
- Douglas J. La Follette (Incumbent) ✔
- Alexia Sabor
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Wyoming
Democratic primary candidates
No candidates filed for the Democratic Party primary.
News and conflicts in the 2022 Democratic secretary of state primaries
The following were reprinted from Ballotpedia's The Heart of the Primaries newsletter, which captured stories related to conflicts within each major party.
September 8, 2022
Massachusetts primary highlight
Secretary of state: Incumbent William Galvin defeated Tanisha Sullivan on Tuesday. As of Wednesday morning, Galvin led 70%-30%.
The Boston Globe's Matt Stout wrote:
| “ |
With Tuesday’s projected victory, [Galvin] sits on the cusp of realizing historic longevity: Should he capture an eighth term in November, he will be poised to pass Frederic Cook, whose 28-year tenure as secretary lasted until 1949, as the longest-serving secretary in state history. Sullivan, like former Boston city councilor Josh Zakim in 2018, argued that Galvin had not been aggressive enough in pushing election reforms. She also cast Galvin as “anti-abortion,” echoing a similar line of attack Zakim made, and said she would push the office to tangibly do more to protect abortion rights. And after a stirring speech at the state party convention in June, Sullivan captured party activists’ attention and the party’s endorsement — again, just as Zakim did four years earlier. For some Democrats, Sullivan offered a more captivating pitch for change than her predecessor. A 48-year-old corporate attorney and Hyde Park resident, she pitched the office as a potential hub for democracy. She would have been both the first woman and person of color elected secretary, offering a perspective, she argued, that was needed to better engage communities of color and other places where voter participation has long lagged. |
” |
July 14, 2022
Dane County Democratic Party Chair Sabor challenges incumbent La Follette for Wisconsin secretary of state
Dane County Democratic Party Chair Alexia Sabor is challenging incumbent Doug La Follette in the Wisconsin secretary of state primary on Aug. 9.
La Follette was first elected in 1974 and served one term before unsuccessfully running for lieutenant governor in 1978. He was re-elected secretary of state in 1982 and has held the office since. Sabor has chaired the Dane County Democratic Party since 2019.
According to the Associated Press’ Todd Richmond, "The stakes are high for the sleepy office because Republicans want to shift election oversight from the state elections commission to the secretary of state, following the model of more than 30 other states. Democrats fear that could allow Republicans to improperly influence certification of Wisconsin elections, particularly the 2024 presidential contest."
La Follette said, "People know who [I am]. The issues are simple. Who has the best chance of winning in November? I am that candidate." According to Richmond, La Follette also "not[ed] he was the only Democrat to retain a statewide office in 2010 and 2014." La Follette's campaign website says he "has fought against the corrupting influence of big money on politics."
Sabor said, "We are really missing an opportunity with the seat to push back on things the Republican Legislature was doing that I think harm Wisconsin voters. … The current secretary of state isn't really doing any communication around the issues that affect Wisconsin voters." Sabor says she would "help Wisconsinites better understand their rights and duties as citizens and how they can become more engaged in civic life."
During the June 25–26 Democratic Party convention, WisPolitics.com conducted a straw poll on various races. Of the 373 delegates who cast ballots, 68% voted for Sabor, and 32% voted for La Follette.
June 9, 2022
Massachusetts Democratic Party convention determines party endorsements and ballot access
At the June 4 Massachusetts Democratic Party convention, delegates chose primary candidates and party endorsees. Attorney General Maura Healey advanced to the gubernatorial primary with 71% of the delegate vote. Because she received more than 50% of the vote, Healey also won the party’s endorsement. State Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz received 29% of the vote, surpassing the 15% threshold to advance to the Sept. 6 primary.
Boston NAACP President Tanisha Sullivan won the party’s endorsement for secretary of state over seven-term incumbent William Galvin, 62% to 38%. Galvin didn't receive the party's endorsement during his last re-election bid in 2018. He won that primary with 68%.
In the lieutenant gubernatorial race, three candidates qualified for the primary: Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll with 41% of the vote, state Rep. Tami Gouveia with 23%, and state Sen. Eric Lesser with 21%.
Politico’s Lisa Kashinsky wrote, "Lesser and Galvin’s flush coffers will help them get on the airwaves and reach more voters as their primaries move beyond party activists. But they could lose that edge if their rivals are able to build more financial support following the convention."
For attorney general, former state Assistant Attorney General Quentin Palfrey won the party’s endorsement and will face former Boston City Councilwoman Andrea Campbell and labor attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan in September.
Former Assistant Secretary of Transportation Chris Dempsey won the endorsement for state auditor with 53% of the vote, setting up a two-way primary with state Sen. Diana DiZoglio, who received 47%.
Political consultant Anthony Cignoli told MassLive’s Jim Kinney, "Convention delegates are a specific universe of activists who don’t always represent the voters who ultimately decide the actual September primary. A larger group of Democrats with broader views and issues important to them will be the decision-makers then, not to mention the unenrolled and independent voters who get to weigh in."
Massachusetts holds semi-closed primaries, meaning voters who are unaffiliated can vote in the primary of their choice.
January 27, 2022
Who's running in Massachusetts' triplex office primaries
Two candidacy announcements within the past week affect primaries for all three of Massachusetts' triplex offices—governor, attorney general, and secretary of the commonwealth (also known as secretary of state in many other states). On Jan. 20, Attorney General Maura Healey announced she's running in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, leaving the attorney general race open. And on Jan. 23, Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin (D) announced he's running for re-election.
Politico Massachusetts Playbook's Lisa Kashinsky said of the governor's race, "In a race where other candidates are running more to their party’s flanks — GOP former state Rep. Geoff Diehl is a former President Donald Trump-backed conservative; state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz and Harvard political theorist Danielle Allen are progressives — Healey is striking a more moderate tone. She’s focusing less on her liberal-prosecutor past and more on pocketbook issues like the high cost of living."
Gov. Charlie Baker (R) is not seeking re-election. The state currently has divided triplex control with a Republican governor and Democrats holding the attorney general and secretary offices.
Quentin Palfrey and Shannon Liss-Riordan had already announced Democratic primary bids for attorney general before Healey's announcement. State House News Service's Katie Lannan named former Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell, who ran for mayor of Boston last year, and Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan as potential candidates. Lannan said, "State election records show the last time more than two AG candidates made it to the ballot for either party primary was in 1974" and that Democrats have held the office since 1969.
Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin was first elected in 1994 and faces a primary challenge from NAACP Boston President Tanisha Sullivan. Galvin referred to his experience as equipping him to serve best. Sullivan said she'd expand voting rights and improve public records transparency.
Primaries are scheduled for Sept. 20.
January 20, 2022
Noteworthy campaign support in Illinois' secretary of state primary
Two Democratic candidates running in the Democratic primary for Illinois secretary of state recently received noteworthy campaign support.
Alexi Giannoulias, a former state treasurer, received endorsements from the Cook County Democratic Party and former candidate Pat Dowell, who dropped out of the secretary of state race to run for U.S. House.
Anna Valencia, who serves as Chicago city clerk, chose Laura Ricketts to co-chair her campaign’s finance committee. Ricketts is a co-owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball team and raised money for both Barack Obama’s (D) and Hillary Clinton’s (D) presidential campaigns.
At least one other Democrat, Chicago Alderman David Moore, is running in the primary. As of Jan. 5, Giannoulias led the Democratic field in cash on hand with $4 million. Valencia had about $820,000, and Moore had about $105,000.
Incumbent Secretary of State Jesse White (D) is retiring. He was first elected in 1998. In the 2018 general election, White defeated Jason Helland (R) 68% to 29%.
The primary is set for June 28.
See also
|
2022 elections: |
Previous elections: |
Ballotpedia exclusives: |
Footnotes
- ↑ 2020 election for Vermont and Washington.
- ↑ In Michigan, political parties nominate candidates for some offices at their conventions instead of holding a primary. Candidates for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, Supreme Court, and the boards of Michigan State University, Wayne State University, the University of Michigan, and the state Board of Education are nominated at conventions.
- ↑ Michigan.gov, "Filing for office," accessed August 20, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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