Very few Americans can name their Secretary of State or tell you what the office does.
In 35 states, voters go to the polls and directly elect someone to the position (others are appointed by Governors or State Legislatures), but most rarely take up space in the minds of voters outside of an election year.
A Secretary of State’s job is typically pretty mundane. They’re your state’s top official in charge of things like keeping official state records, business registration, and – most importantly – election administration. They enforce election rules, maintain statewide voter rolls, and make sure local communities have the resources they need to ensure every vote counts.
A Secretary of State’s job, while political, is not supposed to be partisan. The best holders of the office take the sanctity of their role seriously and often distance themselves from the partisanship and public displays we usually get from elected officials.
Then 2020 happened.
After Donald Trump (definitely) lost the 2020 presidential election, he spent months waging a legal, political – and eventually, violent – battle to stay in office.
Phones started ringing in Secretaries of State offices around the country and, all of a sudden, these obscure elected administrators became household names:
Brad Raffensperger. Katie Hobbs. Jocelyn Benson.
It was Trump calling. Legal threats. Lies. Pleading to “find 11,780 votes.”
And what they did made all the difference. They defended election workers who were being harassed. They protected the results of free and fair elections despite political attacks and death threats. They took unexpectedly large platforms in extraordinarily difficult times and defended American democracy before the world.
Votes were certified and these little-known officials with very important jobs quite literally saved democracy from destruction.
They may have to do it again.
Just as in the weeks leading up to the 2020 election and January 6, 2021 Insurrection, Trump is pulling out every stop to prevent what he believes is an inevitable loss in the midterms.
The courts have struck down repeated attempts from his Justice Department to take control of state voter rolls. He has threatened to prosecute and arrest state and local election officials over unsubstantiated claims regarding noncitizen voting. He has weaponized the US Postal Service to manipulate mail-in voting. His allies in Republican-controlled states and Congress have welcomed the presence of federal officers, including ICE agents, at polling places – and even encouraged a declaration of Martial Law.
Whether in this election or the next, this frequently disregarded official in your state might hear their phone ring. Do you know what they’d do to defend democracy?
26 states will elect their Secretary of State in 2026: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Find out who’s on the ballot in your state.
If your Secretary of State could be one of the few people standing between democracy and dictatorship, you might as well know their name.
– Markus
🗳️Submit a Field Note
Is there a particular race we should be watching or an election-related topic you’d like covered? Comment below and we may add them to a future issue!
🗺️FIELD MAP
Five Places / Races I’m Watching Closely this Week
We’re tracking over 100 key races and candidates that are essential to defending freedom, justice, and democracy at every level. Each week, I’ll share five opportunities in the field you should follow, too.
📍 MICHIGAN
A battle from the top of the ballot to the bottom.
Michigan is one of the few states in the country where one election – with major races at both the federal and state level – will determine its direction for years to come. Abdul El-Sayed’s run for the U.S. Senate seat is rightfully well-publicized. But Michigan Democrats know they must also help Jocelyn Benson keep the Governor’s Mansion; elect Garlin Gilchrist as Secretary of State; send Eli Savit to the Attorney General’s office; and regain their once-narrow-but-effective majorities in the legislature to deliver on a bold agenda.
📍 NEW YORK 17th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Progressive straight-talker boosts chances to retake seat essential to winning House majority.
This Rockland/Westchester-based district outside of New York City slipped out of Democratic control by less than 4 points after aggressive post-2020 redistricting. It’s one of only eight districts won by Kamala Harris in 2024 currently held by Republicans. 41-year-old combat veteran, national security expert (and Russia-banned badass) Cait Conley is raising Democrats’ hopes of beating incumbent Mike Lawler.
📍 ARKANSAS
People-First Farmer is giving Tom Cotton a run for his millions.
Arkansas’ Senate race is another one of those races worth paying attention to in the South. While most predictions point to Republican Tom Cotton winning a third term in the deep-red state, 39-year-old Hallie Shoffner is turning heads. The sixth-generation farmer and small business owner has emerged as a champion for lowering costs and supporting working families. An August Hendrix College poll had her leading (47%/44%) in a state Trump won by 20 points in 2024.
📍 OHIO
Statewide contests could set stage for comeback for Buckeye Democrats.
While Ohio has trended red and fallen out of swing-state conversations in recent years, there’s plenty of opportunity this year for Democrats to set the stage for a lasting resurgence. Sherrod Brown is a proven winner and working-class champion primed to take back a seat in the Senate. Ohio Democrats have also built a strong bench for statewide offices, including Amy Acton (Governor), Allison Russo (Secretary of State), and Annette Blackwell (Auditor). Putting Marilyn Zayas on the state’s Supreme Court bench alongside Jennifer Brunner would put a dent in a Republican super-majority.
📍 TEXAS STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 138
Young candidate embracing unity to flip Houston-area seat in Texas House.
For years, the 138th House district in Houston/Harris County has been under Republican control – but only narrowly. In an election where Texas Democrats are more fired up than they’ve been in years and voters of all parties are looking for problem-solvers, 29-year-old Tyler Smith believes he can unite a broad working-class coalition to achieve a quality-of-life agenda untied to party.
I certainly hope my secretary of state is the next governor. She turned around the DMV here in Michigan
In MI there is a ballot measure to hold a constitutional convention which could radically change our laws. If you haven't heard about it, look it up.