Public policy made simple. Dive into our information hub today!

Kansas Secretary of State: Difference between revisions

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
No edit summary
 
Line 14: Line 14:
|Partisan =Republican
|Partisan =Republican
|Compensation = 86,003
|Compensation = 86,003
|Next election = {{Greener|start=11/8/2022 8pm EST|before= [[Kansas Secretary of State election, 2022|November 8, 2022]] |after= [[Kansas Secretary of State election, 2026|November 3, 2026]] }}
|Next election = {{Greener|start=11/3/2026 8pm EST|before= [[Kansas Secretary of State election, 2026|2026]] |after= [[Kansas Secretary of State election, 2030|2030]] }}
|Last election= {{Greener|start=11/8/2022 8pm EST|before= [[Kansas Secretary of State election, 2018|November 6, 2018]] |after= [[Kansas Secretary of State election, 2022|November 8, 2022]] }}
|Last election= {{Greener|start=11/3/2026 8pm EST|before= [[Kansas Secretary of State election, 2022|2022]] |after= [[Kansas Secretary of State election, 2026|2026]] }}
|Other offices =[[Governor of Kansas|Governor]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Kansas|Lieutenant Governor]] • [[Kansas Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] • [[Attorney General of Kansas|Attorney General]] • [[Kansas Treasurer|Treasurer]] • [[Kansas Commissioner of Education|Commissioner of Education]] • [[Kansas Secretary of Agriculture|Agriculture Secretary]] • [[Kansas Commissioner of Insurance|Insurance Commissioner]] • [[Kansas Secretary of Wildlife and Parks|Wildlife and Parks Secretary]] • [[Kansas Secretary of Labor|Labor Secretary]] • [[Kansas Corporation Commission|Corporation Commission]]}}
|Other offices =[[Governor of Kansas|Governor]] • [[Lieutenant Governor of Kansas|Lieutenant Governor]] • [[Kansas Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] • [[Attorney General of Kansas|Attorney General]] • [[Kansas Treasurer|Treasurer]] • [[Kansas Commissioner of Education|Commissioner of Education]] • [[Kansas Secretary of Agriculture|Agriculture Secretary]] • [[Kansas Commissioner of Insurance|Insurance Commissioner]] • [[Kansas Secretary of Wildlife and Parks|Wildlife and Parks Secretary]] • [[Kansas Secretary of Labor|Labor Secretary]] • [[Kansas Corporation Commission|Corporation Commission]]}}


Line 46: Line 46:
As stated in the [[Kansas Constitution]], there is no [[term limit]] for this office.
As stated in the [[Kansas Constitution]], there is no [[term limit]] for this office.


===2022===
===Election results===
::''See also: [[Kansas Secretary of State election, 2022]]''
<BPW widget="elections/election-section" office=[1560] candidate_page=true year_tabs=true raceyeargt=2018/>


<APIWidget where='races.id=54049' template='ElectionSection' extra_params='{"type":"all"}' />
{{BPcollapsible
|title=Previous election results
|content=


===Past elections===
====2014====
{{BPAccordion
''See also: [[Kansas secretary of state election, 2014]]''
|panel_count=3
|expand_button=true
 
|panel1_title=2018
|panel1_content=''See also: [[Kansas Secretary of State election, 2018]]''
 
<APIWidget where='races.id=1281' template='ElectionSection' extra_params='{"type":"all"}' />
 
|panel2_title=2014
|panel2_content=''See also: [[Kansas secretary of state election, 2014]]''


{{KSSoS2014GeneralResults}}
{{KSSoS2014GeneralResults}}


|panel3_title=2010
====2010====
|panel3_content=Kobach [[Republican|(R)]] defeated [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Chris Biggs in the 2010 general election, earning 59 percent of the vote.<ref>[http://www.kssos.org/elections/10elec/2010_General_Election_Results.pdf ''Kansas Secretary of State'', ""2010 General Election Results,"" accessed January 18, 2021]</ref> Biggs was appointed to the position by [[Governor of Kansas| Gov.]] [[Mark Parkinson]] in March 2010 following the resignation of 16-year office veteran [[Republican]] [[Ron Thornburgh]].  
Kobach [[Republican|(R)]] defeated [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Chris Biggs in the 2010 general election, earning 59 percent of the vote.<ref>[http://www.kssos.org/elections/10elec/2010_General_Election_Results.pdf ''Kansas Secretary of State'', ""2010 General Election Results,"" accessed January 18, 2021]</ref> Biggs was appointed to the position by [[Governor of Kansas| Gov.]] [[Mark Parkinson]] in March 2010 following the resignation of 16-year office veteran [[Republican]] [[Ron Thornburgh]].  


{{SEO election box
{{SEO election box

Latest revision as of 23:17, 16 December 2025

Kansas Secretary of State

Seal of Kansas.svg.png

General information
Office Type:  Partisan
Office website:  Official Link
Compensation:  $86,003
2025 FY Budget:  $7,076,569
Term limits:  None
Structure
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:  Kansas Constitution, Article I § 1
Selection Method:  Elected
Current Officeholder(s)

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab
Republican Party
Assumed office: January 14, 2019

Elections
Next election:  2026
Last election:  2022
Other Kansas Executive Offices
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Commissioner • Wildlife and Parks Secretary • Labor Secretary • Corporation Commission

The Secretary of State of Kansas is a statewide constitutional office in Kansas. The secretary of state is publicly elected every four years. The office is responsible for overseeing the administration of all state and federal elections in the state.

Kansas has a divided government where neither party holds a triplex. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor, while the Republican Party controls the offices of attorney general and secretary of state.

Current officeholder

The current Kansas Secretary of State is Scott Schwab (R). Schwab assumed office in 2019.

Authority

The secretary of state's powers are derived from Article 1 of the Kansas Constitution.

Article 1, Section 1:

The constitutional officers of the executive department shall be the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general, who shall have such qualifications as are provided by law.

Qualifications

There are no constitutional or statutory qualifications for this office.[1]

Elections

See also: States with gubernatorial term limits, State legislatures with term limits

The secretary of state is elected to serve for a term of four years of length, which runs concurrently with the term of the governor. The election is held in November and the official takes office the following January.

Term limits

As stated in the Kansas Constitution, there is no term limit for this office.

Election results

See also: Kansas Secretary of State election, 2030


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


See also: Kansas 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 Kansas Secretary of State

Jennifer Day (D), Sam Lane (D), Pat Proctor (R), and Ken Rahjes (R) 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)

There are no incumbents in this race.

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.

See also: Kansas Secretary of State election, 2022

General election

General election for Kansas Secretary of State

Incumbent Scott Schwab (R) defeated Jeanna Repass (D) and Cullene Lang (L) 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
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Cullene Lang (L)
 
2.8
 
27,844

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

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

Democratic primary for Kansas Secretary of State

Jeanna Repass (D) 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

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

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.

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

Republican primary

Republican primary for Kansas Secretary of State

Incumbent Scott Schwab (R) defeated Mike Brown (R) 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

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

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.

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

Libertarian Party convention

Libertarian convention for Kansas Secretary of State

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

Candidate
✔
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Cullene Lang

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

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.

See also: Kansas Secretary of State election, 2018

General election

General election for Kansas Secretary of State

Scott Schwab (R) defeated Brian McClendon (D) and Rob Hodgkinson (L) 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

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

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

Democratic primary for Kansas Secretary of State

Brian McClendon (D) 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

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 139,4570
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

Republican primary for Kansas Secretary of State

Scott Schwab (R) defeated Randy Duncan (R), Dennis Taylor (R), Craig McCullah (R), and Keith Esau (R) 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
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Randy Duncan
 
20.2
 
57,236
Image of Dennis Taylor
Dennis Taylor
 
19.9
 
56,537
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Craig McCullah
 
11.5
 
32,615
Image of Keith Esau
Keith Esau
 
10.0
 
28,426

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 283,5190
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.

Previous election results


Vacancies

Article 1, Section 11 addresses the legal procedure for filling vacancies in executive offices.

When the office of secretary of state or attorney general is vacant, the governor shall fill the vacancy by appointment for the remainder of the term. If the secretary of state or attorney general is disabled, the governor shall name a person to assume the powers and duties of the office until the disability is removed.

Duties

As of January 18, 2021, the duties of the office stated on the official website included:[3]

“ [A]dministering elections, collecting certain records of Kansas businesses and publishing the official publications for the State of Kansas. As a result, hundreds of thousands of documents are kept by the Secretary of State. Generally, they fall into four categories – executive, legislative, elections and business.[4] ”

Divisions

Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Kansas Secretary of State has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.

State budget

See also: Kansas state budget and finances

The Office of the Secretary of State's budget for fiscal year 2025 was $7,076,569.[5]

Compensation

See also: Compensation of state executive officers

The salary of the secretary of state, along with other Kansas elected executives, is determined by the Kansas State Legislature. Article I, Section 13 requires state executive salaries to be legally fixed and not reduced during the current term, unless such a reduction applies to all salaried state officers.[6] However, under Article XV, Section 7 the legislature may reduce the salary of an elected officer for gross neglect of duty.[7]

Kansas Constitution, Article I, Section 13

Compensation of officers. The officers mentioned in this article shall at stated times receive for their services a such compensation as is established by law, which shall not be diminished during their terms of office, unless by general law applicable to all salaried officers of the state. Any person exercising the powers and duties of an office mentioned in this article shall receive the compensation established by law for that office.

Kansas Constitution, Article XV, Section 7

Salaries reduced for neglect of duty. The legislature may reduce the salaries of officers, who shall neglect the performance of any legal duty.

2023

In 2023, the officer's salary was $86,003, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $86,003, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]

2021

In 2021, the secretary of state received a salary of $86,003, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]

2020

In 2020, the secretary of state received a salary of $86,003 according to the Council of State Governments.[11]

2019

In 2019, the secretary of state received a salary of $86,003 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]

2018

In 2018, the secretary of state received a salary of $86,003 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]

2017

In 2017, the secretary of state received a salary of $86,003 according to the Council of State Governments.[14]

2016

In 2016, the secretary of state received a salary of $86,003 according to the Council of State Governments.[15]

2015

In 2015, the secretary of state received a salary of $86,003 according to the Council of State Governments.[16]

2014

In 2014, the secretary received a salary of $86,003 according to the Council of State Governments.[17]

2013

In 2013, the secretary received a salary of $86,003 according to the Council of State Governments.[18]

2012

In 2012, the secretary received a salary of $86,003 according to the Council of State Governments.

2011

In 2011, the secretary received a salary of $86,003 according to the Council of State Governments.[19]

Historical officeholders

There have been 5 Kansas Territory Secretaries and 32 Kansas Secretaries of State since 1854. Of the 37 officeholders, 28 were Republican, 7 were Democrat, and 2 were Populists.[20]

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Kansas Secretary of State. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Kansas Secretary of State - Google News

Contact information

Kansas

Capitol Address:
Kansas Secretary of State
Memorial Hall, 1st Floor
120 SW 10th Avenue
Topeka, KS 66612-1594

Phone: (785) 296-4564

See also

Kansas State Executive Elections News and Analysis
Seal of Kansas.png
StateExecLogo.png
Ballotpedia RSS.jpg
Kansas State Executive Offices
Kansas State Legislature
Kansas Courts
2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016
Kansas elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "Kansas Election Standards (Chapter IV: Candidates, p. IV-11)," accessed January 18, 2021
  2. ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, ""2010 General Election Results,"" accessed January 18, 2021
  3. ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "About the Office," accessed January 18, 2021
  4. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  5. ↑ Kansas Division of the Budget, "2025 comparison report," accessed January 17, 2025
  6. ↑ Kansas Constitution, "Article I Executive; Compensation of Officers," accessed February 18, 2015
  7. ↑ Kansas Constitution, “Article XV Miscellaneous; Salaries reduced for neglect of duty,” accessed January 18, 2021
  8. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 15, 2025
  9. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
  10. ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
  11. ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 18, 2021
  12. ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 18, 2021
  13. ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 18, 2021
  14. ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 18, 2021
  15. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
  16. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
  17. ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 14, 2014
  18. ↑ The Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2013, Table 4.11," accessed February 2, 2014
  19. ↑ The Council of State Governments, "Book of States 2011- Table 4.11," accessed February 2, 2012 (dead link)
  20. ↑ Kansas Historical Society, "Kansas Secretaries of State," accessed January 18, 2021
v • e
Secretaries of State
Elected (by voters)SOS badge.jpg
Appointed (by gov.)
Elected (state leg.)
Elections
2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010
Other
Flag of Kansas
v • e
State of Kansas
Topeka (capital)
Elections

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Kansas_Secretary_of_State&oldid=10728832"