Democratic Party Secretary of State primaries, 2026
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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, 26 are on the ballot in 2026.
There are 13 Democratic-held secretary of state offices and 13 Republican-held secretary of state offices on the ballot in 2026.
On this page, you will find:
- Click here for more on the Republican secretary of state primaries in 2026.
- Click here for more on the secretary of state general elections in 2026.
Election dates
The following table details 2026 secretary of state filing deadlines and primary dates in each state. The signature filing deadline is the date by which candidates must file nominating signatures with election officials in order to have their name placed on the ballot.
| State | Filing deadline | Primary election |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | January 23 | May 19 |
| Arizona | March 23 | July 21 |
| Arkansas | November 11 | March 3 |
| California | March 6 | June 2 |
| Colorado | March 18 | June 30 |
| Connecticut | June 9 | August 11 |
| Georgia | March 6 | May 19 |
| Idaho | February 27 | May 19 |
| Illinois | November 3 | March 17 |
| Indiana | --- | June 6 (convention) |
| Iowa | March 13 | June 2 |
| Kansas | June 1 | August 4 |
| Massachusetts | June 2 | September 1 |
| Michigan | — | Convention[1] |
| Minnesota | June 2 | August 11 |
| Nebraska | February 17 (incumbent) March 2 (non-incumbent) | May 12 |
| Nevada | March 13 | June 9 |
| New Mexico | February 3 | June 2 |
| North Dakota | April 6 | June 9 |
| Ohio | February 4 | May 5 |
| Rhode Island | June 24 | September 8 |
| South Carolina | March 30 | June 9 |
| South Dakota | — | June 6 (convention)[2] |
| Vermont | May 28 | August 11 |
| Wisconsin | June 1 | August 11 |
| Wyoming | May 29 | August 18 |
By state
Note: Prior to filing deadlines, the following lists of potential and declared candidates are unofficial. They will be updated after each candidate filing deadline has passed and the official list of candidates becomes available. Please contact us if you notice a candidate who declared for election missing from the list or a candidate who withdrew still listed.
Alabama
Democratic primary candidates
This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Arizona
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
- Adrian Fontes (Incumbent)
Arkansas
Democratic primary candidates
This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:
California
Primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Colorado
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Connecticut
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
- Stephanie Thomas (Incumbent)
Georgia
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Idaho
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Illinois
Democratic primary candidates
- Alexi Giannoulias (Incumbent)
Indiana
Democratic convention candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Iowa
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Kansas
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Massachusetts
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
- William Galvin (Incumbent)
Michigan
This office does not hold primary elections. Major and minor party nominees are chosen through their respective party conventions. As of March 2026, the state nominating convention dates had not been announced.
There are no official candidates yet for this election.
Minnesota
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
- Steve Simon (Incumbent)
Nebraska
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Nevada
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
New Mexico
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
North Dakota
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Ohio
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Rhode Island
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
South Carolina
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
South Dakota
Democratic convention candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
Vermont
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
- Sarah Copeland Hanzas (Incumbent)
Wisconsin
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Wyoming
Democratic primary candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
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Recalls
See also
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2026 elections: |
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Footnotes
- ↑ This office does not hold primary elections. Major and minor party nominees are chosen through their respective party conventions. As of March 2026, the state nominating convention dates had not been announced.
- ↑ In South Dakota, political parties select their state executive candidates at conventions rather than through primaries, with the governor being the only exception. The state Democratic Party is holding its convention on June 6. The state Republican Party is holding its convention on June 27. The state Libertarian Party is holding its convention on May 2.
