Wisconsin Secretary of State election, 2026
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| Wisconsin Secretary of State |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: June 1, 2026 |
| Primary: (date not yet available) General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
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Wisconsin 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
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for Wisconsin Secretary of State
Incumbent Sarah Godlewski, Collin McNamara, Lorenzo Southall, JoCasta Zamarripa, and Pete Karas are running in the general election for Wisconsin Secretary of State on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Sarah Godlewski (D) | |
 | Collin McNamara (D) | |
Lorenzo Southall (D)  | ||
 | JoCasta Zamarripa (D) | |
| Pete Karas (G) | ||
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
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.
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Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
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.
| Collapse all
Lorenzo Southall (D)
Accountability
Education
Lorenzo Southall (D)
You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Wisconsin
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
General election
General election for Wisconsin Secretary of State
Incumbent Douglas J. La Follette defeated Amy Loudenbeck, Neil Harmon, and Sharyl McFarland in the general election for Wisconsin Secretary of State on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Douglas J. La Follette (D) | 48.3 | 1,268,748 |
 | Amy Loudenbeck (R) | 48.0 | 1,261,306 | |
 | Neil Harmon (L) | 2.1 | 54,413 | |
 | Sharyl McFarland (G) | 1.6 | 41,532 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 944 | ||
| Total votes: 2,626,943 | |||
| = 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 Wisconsin Secretary of State
Incumbent Douglas J. La Follette defeated Alexia Sabor in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin Secretary of State on August 9, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Douglas J. La Follette | 63.6 | 300,773 |
 | Alexia Sabor | 36.4 | 171,954 | |
| Total votes: 472,727 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Wisconsin Secretary of State
Amy Loudenbeck defeated Jay Schroeder and Justin Schmidtka in the Republican primary for Wisconsin Secretary of State on August 9, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Amy Loudenbeck | 46.3 | 264,940 |
 | Jay Schroeder | 39.9 | 228,191 | |
 | Justin Schmidtka | 13.8 | 78,846 | |
| Total votes: 571,977 | |||
| = 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
- Dmitry Becker (R)
Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for Wisconsin Secretary of State
Neil Harmon advanced from the Libertarian primary for Wisconsin Secretary of State on August 9, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Neil Harmon | 95.8 | 769 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 4.2 | 34 | ||
| Total votes: 803 | |||
| = 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
General election
General election for Wisconsin Secretary of State
Incumbent Douglas J. La Follette defeated Jay Schroeder in the general election for Wisconsin Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Douglas J. La Follette (D) | 52.7 | 1,380,752 |
| Jay Schroeder (R) | 47.2 | 1,235,034 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 2,162 | ||
| Total votes: 2,617,948 | |||
| = 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 Wisconsin Secretary of State
Incumbent Douglas J. La Follette defeated Arvina Martin in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin Secretary of State on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Douglas J. La Follette | 65.9 | 327,020 |
 | Arvina Martin | 34.1 | 169,130 | |
| Total votes: 496,150 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Wisconsin Secretary of State
Jay Schroeder defeated Spencer Zimmerman in the Republican primary for Wisconsin Secretary of State on August 14, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jay Schroeder | 71.4 | 254,424 |
 | Spencer Zimmerman | 28.6 | 101,818 | |
| Total votes: 356,242 | |||
| = 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
Democratic incumbent Doug La Follette won re-election on November 4, 2014.
| Secretary of State of Wisconsin, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Doug La Follette Incumbent |
50% | 1,161,113 | |
| Republican | Julian Bradley | 46.3% | 1,074,835 | |
| Libertarian | Andy Craig | 2.5% | 58,996 | |
| Constitution | Jerry Broitzman | 1.1% | 25,744 | |
| Nonpartisan | Scattering | 0.1% | 1,347 | |
| Total Votes | 2,322,035 | |||
| Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board | ||||
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.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| District | Incumbent | PVI |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin's 1st | Bryan Steil | R+2 |
| Wisconsin's 2nd | Mark Pocan | D+21 |
| Wisconsin's 3rd | Derrick Van Orden | R+3 |
| Wisconsin's 4th | Gwen Moore | D+26 |
| Wisconsin's 5th | Scott Fitzgerald | R+11 |
| Wisconsin's 6th | Glenn Grothman | R+8 |
| Wisconsin's 7th | Tom Tiffany | R+11 |
| Wisconsin's 8th | Tony Wied | R+8 |
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| District | Kamala Harris  |
Donald Trump  |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin's 1st | 47.0% | 52.0% |
| Wisconsin's 2nd | 69.0% | 29.0% |
| Wisconsin's 3rd | 46.0% | 53.0% |
| Wisconsin's 4th | 75.0% | 23.0% |
| Wisconsin's 5th | 38.0% | 60.0% |
| Wisconsin's 6th | 41.0% | 58.0% |
| Wisconsin's 7th | 38.0% | 61.0% |
| Wisconsin's 8th | 41.0% | 57.0% |
| 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:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 62.9% of Wisconsinites lived in one of the state's 58 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 35.5% lived in one of 12 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, Wisconsin was Battleground Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Joe Biden (D) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Wisconsin following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Wisconsin county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Republican | 58 | 62.9% | |||||
| Solid Democratic | 12 | 35.5% | |||||
| Battleground Republican | 1 | 1.1% | |||||
| Trending Democratic | 1 | 0.5% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 13 | 36.0% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 59 | 64.0% | |||||
Historical voting trends
Wisconsin presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 15 Democratic wins
- 16 Republican wins
- 1 other win
| 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 | R | R | P[1] | R | D | D | D | R | D | R | R | R | D | R | R | D | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | D | 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
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Wisconsin.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Wisconsin
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Wisconsin.
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of Wisconsin's congressional delegation as of October 2025.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Wisconsin | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Republican | 1 | 6 | 7 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 8 | 10 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in Wisconsin's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | Tony Evers |
| Lieutenant Governor | Sara Rodriguez |
| Secretary of State | Sarah Godlewski |
| Attorney General | Josh Kaul |
State legislature
Wisconsin State Senate
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 15 | |
| Republican Party | 18 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 33 | |
Wisconsin State Assembly
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 45 | |
| Republican Party | 54 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 99 | |
Trifecta control
Wisconsin Party Control: 1992-2025
Two years of Democratic trifectas • Ten years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| 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 | R | R | R | 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 | D | R | R | R | D | D | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
The table below details demographic data in Wisconsin and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for Wisconsin | ||
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | United States | |
| Population | 5,893,718 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 54,167 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 81.3% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 6.1% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 2.9% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 0.7% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 2.4% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 6.5% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 7.8% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 93.4% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 32.8% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $75,670 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 10.6% | 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
| Wisconsin | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Progressive Party
