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Kansas Secretary of State election, 2026

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2022
Kansas Secretary of State
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 1, 2026
Primary: August 4, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Kansas

Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2026
Impact of term limits in 2026
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
Kansas
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Secretary of State
Insurance Commissioner
Treasurer
State Board of Education (5 seats)

Kansas is holding an election for secretary of state on November 3, 2026.

To learn more about other elections on the ballot, click here.

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

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 Kansas Secretary of State

Jennifer Day, Sam Lane, Pat Proctor, and Ken Rahjes are running in the general election for Kansas Secretary of State on November 3, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Jennifer Day
Jennifer Day (D)
Image of Sam Lane
Sam Lane (D) Candidate Connection
Image of Pat Proctor
Pat Proctor (R)
Image of Ken Rahjes
Ken Rahjes (R)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Image of Sam Lane

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography "I'm a working class, eyes-wide-open patriot who believes in things like Democratic Process and the Constitution of the United States of America. I recently switched from Independent to Democrat."


Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.


Election integrity, vital to a healthy democratic republic, is under threat from partisan politics. The Secretary of State, charged with overseeing elections, is the first line of defense. And that's a line I intend to hold.


Fair and accurate elections -- I intend to make certain we have a complete paper trail for every ballot location, to achieve complete transparency and so voter fraud has no place to hide. In this era of tense, sometimes near-violent political polarization I also intend to make sure every ballot location is well-protected and to work to restore the reliability of mail-in ballots so we can all vote in safety. And I absolutely intend to push back against attempts at voter suppression, no matter where it comes from. Every citizen Constitutionally eligible to vote deserves safe and easy voting access. That's fundamental to democracy -- every voice matters


Both sides of the aisle claim election integrity is being compromised, but for different reasons. It's my intent to take both sides seriously, regardless of what I personally think is or isn't true. I have to take every threat seriously, because our elections are too vital to risk to a biased judgement call.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

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.

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Sam Lane (D)

Election integrity, vital to a healthy democratic republic, is under threat from partisan politics. The Secretary of State, charged with overseeing elections, is the first line of defense. And that's a line I intend to hold.

Fair and accurate elections -- I intend to make certain we have a complete paper trail for every ballot location, to achieve complete transparency and so voter fraud has no place to hide. In this era of tense, sometimes near-violent political polarization I also intend to make sure every ballot location is well-protected and to work to restore the reliability of mail-in ballots so we can all vote in safety. And I absolutely intend to push back against attempts at voter suppression, no matter where it comes from. Every citizen Constitutionally eligible to vote deserves safe and easy voting access. That's fundamental to democracy -- every voice matters

Both sides of the aisle claim election integrity is being compromised, but for different reasons. It's my intent to take both sides seriously, regardless of what I personally think is or isn't true. I have to take every threat seriously, because our elections are too vital to risk to a biased judgement call.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/SamLaneKansas2025.jpg

Sam Lane (D)

Relevant to this job, election integrity and democratic process, of course. More broadly, I'm a freedom-loving American, so civil liberties are a big deal to me -- freedom of speech, right to bear arms, due process (protection from unwarranted search and seizure, writ of habeas corpus), privacy, freedom of religion. Constitutional checks and balances are also important to me, as is education.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/SamLaneKansas2025.jpg

Sam Lane (D)

In addition to elections, the Secretary of State is responsible for registering Kansas businesses. "Government paperwork" has a certain well-deserved infamy, and unfortunately Kansas is no exception. I'd like to make the state more user-friendly.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/SamLaneKansas2025.jpg

Sam Lane (D)

When I was a kid, my dad told me I was descended from a famous Abolitionist named James Henry Lane. Much later in life, I learned Senator Jim Lane was a famous demagogue who sided with the Abolitionists when he figured out which way the wind was blowing in Kansas. We like to put a spin on the stories we tell.

Being a history nerd, I could name any number of admirable historical figures. John Brown wasn't afraid to die for his Abolitionist beliefs. Rudramadevi led her kingdom with skilled statesmanship in peace and war. Gráinne Mhaol was irrepressible. Cyrus the Great was one of the first rulers to practice the virtues of mercy and religious pluralism.

My grandpa served on an LST during WWII. As a kid I would occasionally help him fold Old Glory come sundown.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/SamLaneKansas2025.jpg

Sam Lane (D)

Just about every official needs willingness to listen. This can take many forms, from a senator listening to constituents' worries, to an election commissioner looking into subordinates' concerns, to a secretary of state hearing business owners talk about how the business registration system needs to change.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/SamLaneKansas2025.jpg

Sam Lane (D)

My grandma, a child of Polish immigrants, made bombers during the war. She lived for just shy of a century, probably because she was too headstrong to accept death. I think I inherited some of her stubbornness, which is probably why we never really got along that well.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/SamLaneKansas2025.jpg

Sam Lane (D)

I suspect that historians will remember this era as one in which American values like freedom, democracy, and equality were under threat. It's my intent to be counted among the people who stood up to defend them.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/SamLaneKansas2025.jpg

Sam Lane (D)

Although in most of Kansas elections at the county level are run by the (elected) County Clerk, the most populous counties have Election Commissioners appointed by the Secretary of State. Also, the Kansas Secretary of State has the power to prosecute voter fraud cases.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/SamLaneKansas2025.jpg

Sam Lane (D)

It's a mixed blessing. It's true that being an outsider, I'll have to put effort into learning things that career politicians already know. I'll have to be extra careful about understanding why things work the way they do before I start making changes. That's because I've seen what happens when a new boss makes careless changes to a system that already works. About the time I wrote this (June 2025) I started the process of meeting with county clerks and election commissioners to better familiarize myself with the process. On the flipside, familiarity breeds complacency. I've seen a lot of people at the various jobs I've worked take shortcuts or ignore safety rules, and bosses let it slide because that's just how it is. I'm not usually the guy that "lets it slide" anyway, and since I'm looking at it with fresh eyes, I'm not about to say any breach of important protocol is "just how it is".
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/SamLaneKansas2025.jpg

Sam Lane (D)

If the job were solely about business registration and publishing state records, then just about anybody with a decent helping of integrity, diligence, and intelligence would be adequate to the task. But throwing elections in there changes everything. A good Secretary of State will need to be sharp enough to catch threats to election integrity, stubborn enough to stop them in their tracks, and skilled enough at critical thinking to see through attempts to sell threats as something benign.
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/SamLaneKansas2025.jpg

Sam Lane (D)

"Politicians are like diapers. They need to be changed frequently, and for the same reason." -Mark Twain
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/SamLaneKansas2025.jpg

Sam Lane (D)

With very rare exception, transparency is a necessary component of a healthy democracy. That's why freedom of the press is so high on the Bill of Rights.


You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:

Voting information

See also: Voting in Kansas

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.


Past elections

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2014.

2022

See also: Kansas Secretary of State election, 2022

General election

General election for Kansas Secretary of State

Incumbent Scott Schwab defeated Jeanna Repass and Cullene Lang in the general election for Kansas Secretary of State on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Scott Schwab
Scott Schwab (R)
 
58.4
 
580,908
Image of Jeanna Repass
Jeanna Repass (D) Candidate Connection
 
38.8
 
386,661
Cullene Lang (L)
 
2.8
 
27,844

Total votes: 995,413
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Kansas Secretary of State

Jeanna Repass advanced from the Democratic primary for Kansas Secretary of State on August 2, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jeanna Repass
Jeanna Repass Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
246,870

Total votes: 246,870
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kansas Secretary of State

Incumbent Scott Schwab defeated Mike Brown in the Republican primary for Kansas Secretary of State on August 2, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Scott Schwab
Scott Schwab
 
55.2
 
245,998
Image of Mike Brown
Mike Brown Candidate Connection
 
44.8
 
199,316

Total votes: 445,314
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Kansas Secretary of State

Cullene Lang advanced from the Libertarian convention for Kansas Secretary of State on April 23, 2022.

Candidate
Cullene Lang (L)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: Kansas Secretary of State election, 2018

General election

General election for Kansas Secretary of State

Scott Schwab defeated Brian McClendon and Rob Hodgkinson in the general election for Kansas Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Scott Schwab
Scott Schwab (R)
 
52.6
 
549,416
Image of Brian McClendon
Brian McClendon (D) Candidate Connection
 
43.9
 
458,142
Image of Rob Hodgkinson
Rob Hodgkinson (L) Candidate Connection
 
3.5
 
36,882

Total votes: 1,044,440
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Kansas Secretary of State

Brian McClendon advanced from the Democratic primary for Kansas Secretary of State on August 7, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Brian McClendon
Brian McClendon Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
139,457

Total votes: 139,457
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kansas Secretary of State

Scott Schwab defeated Randy Duncan, Dennis Taylor, Craig McCullah, and Keith Esau in the Republican primary for Kansas Secretary of State on August 7, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Scott Schwab
Scott Schwab
 
38.3
 
108,705
Randy Duncan
 
20.2
 
57,236
Image of Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor
 
19.9
 
56,537
Craig McCullah
 
11.5
 
32,615
Image of Keith Esau
Keith Esau
 
10.0
 
28,426

Total votes: 283,519
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2014

See also: Kansas secretary of state election, 2014
Secretary of State of Kansas, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngKris Kobach Incumbent 59.2% 508,926
     Democratic Jean Schodorf 40.8% 350,692
Total Votes 859,618
Election results via Kansas Secretary of State

Election analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.

  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
  • Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
  • State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
  • Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.


See also: Presidential voting trends in Kansas and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Kansas, 2026
District Incumbent PVI
Kansas' 1st Tracey Mann R+16
Kansas' 2nd Derek Schmidt R+10
Kansas' 3rd Sharice Davids D+2
Kansas' 4th Ron Estes R+12

2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines

2024 presidential results in congressional districts, Kansas
District Kamala Harris Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
Kansas' 1st 33.0% 65.0%
Kansas' 2nd 39.0% 59.0%
Kansas' 3rd 51.0% 47.0%
Kansas' 4th 37.0% 61.0%
Source: The Downballot

2016-2024

How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:


Following the 2024 presidential election, 60.6% of Kansans lived in one of the state's 100 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 29.6% lived in one of 3 Trending Democratic counties. Overall, Kansas was Solid Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Donald Trump (R) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Kansas following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

Historical voting trends

Kansas presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 5 Democratic wins
  • 27 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party R R R D D R R R D D R R R R R R D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

U.S. Senate elections

See also: List of United States Senators from Kansas

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Kansas.

U.S. Senate election results in Kansas
Race Winner Runner up
2022 60.0%Republican Party 37.0%Democratic Party
2020 53.2%Republican Party 41.8%Democratic Party
2016 62.1%Republican Party 32.2%Democratic Party
2014 53.1%Republican Party 42.5%Grey.png (Independent)
2010 70.3%Republican Party 26.2%Democratic Party
Average 59.7 35.9

Gubernatorial elections

See also: Governor of Kansas

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Kansas.

Gubernatorial election results in Kansas
Race Winner Runner up
2022 49.5%Democratic Party 47.3%Republican Party
2018 48.0%Democratic Party 43.0%Republican Party
2014 49.8%Republican Party 48.1%Democratic Party
2010 62.3%Republican Party 32.2%Democratic Party
2006 57.9%Democratic Party 40.4%Republican Party
Average 53.5 42.2
See also: Party control of Kansas state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Kansas' congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Kansas
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 1 1
Republican 2 3 5
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 4 6

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Kansas' top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Kansas, October 2025
Office Officeholder
Governor Democratic Party Laura Kelly
Lieutenant Governor Democratic Party David Toland
Secretary of State Republican Party Scott Schwab
Attorney General Republican Party Kris Kobach

State legislature

Kansas State Senate

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 9
     Republican Party 31
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 40

Kansas House of Representatives

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 37
     Republican Party 88
     Other 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 125

Trifecta control

Kansas Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas  •  Sixteen years of Republican trifectas

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D
Senate R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

The table below details demographic data in Kansas and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.

Demographic Data for Kansas
Kansas United States
Population 2,937,880 331,449,281
Land area (sq mi) 81,758 3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White 77.9% 63.4%
Black/African American 5.4% 12.4%
Asian 2.9% 5.8%
Native American 0.7% 0.9%
Pacific Islander 0.2% 0.4%
Other (single race) 3.9% 6.6%
Multiple 9% 10.7%
Hispanic/Latino 13.3% 19%
Education
High school graduation rate 91.9% 89.4%
College graduation rate 35.2% 35%
Income
Median household income $72,639 $78,538
Persons below poverty level 11.5% 12.4%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Secretary of State elections in 2026

There are 26 secretary of state seats on the ballot in 2026.

See also

Kansas State Executive Elections News and Analysis
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Kansas State Executive Offices
Kansas State Legislature
Kansas Courts
20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Kansas elections: 20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links

Footnotes