The numbers: The 2028 secretary of state races are in seven states: Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia. Democrats hold four of those offices and Republicans hold three as of November 9, 2026. Montana’s is an open seat because its secretary of state is term-limited.
Data as of November 9, 2026; officeholders, party and selection method come from the National Association of Secretaries of State, and terms and limits from state constitutions, each with a dated source. Sources listed below.
Which Secretary of State Offices Are on the 2028 Ballot?
The 2028 secretary of state races fall in the states that elect the office in presidential years, plus Vermont, which elects every two years under Chapter II, Section 43 of its constitution. The general election is November 7, 2028. Voters elect a secretary of state in 35 states, according to the National Association of Secretaries of State directory. Most of those states voted on November 3, 2026.
In most states the secretary of state is the chief election official, which makes these races a look at who will run future elections. Each office below is shaded by the party of the officeholder on November 9, 2026. For the presidential race on the same ballot, see the 2028 Electoral College map.
2028 Secretary of State Races by State: Full Table
| State | How chosen | Next regular election | Chief election official? | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Alaska | No secretary of state; lieutenant governor | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Arizona | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Arkansas | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| California | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Colorado | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Connecticut | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Delaware | Appointed | No election | No | NASS |
| District of Columbia | Appointed | No election | No (board of elections) | NASS |
| Florida | Appointed | No election | Yes | NASS |
| Georgia | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Hawaii | No secretary of state; lieutenant governor | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | No | NASS |
| Idaho | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Illinois | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | No | NASS |
| Indiana | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Iowa | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Kansas | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Kentucky | Elected | 2027 | Yes | NASS |
| Louisiana | Elected | 2027 | Yes | NASS |
| Maine | Chosen by legislature | No election | Yes | NASS |
| Maryland | Appointed | No election | No | NASS |
| Massachusetts | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Michigan | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Minnesota | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Mississippi | Elected | 2027 | Yes | NASS |
| Missouri | Elected | 2028: Denny Hoskins (R) | Yes | NASS |
| Montana | Elected | 2028: Christi Jacobsen (R) (term-limited; open seat) | Yes | NASS |
| Nebraska | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Nevada | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| New Hampshire | Chosen by legislature | No election | Yes | NASS |
| New Jersey | Appointed | No election | Yes | NASS |
| New Mexico | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| New York | Appointed | No election | No | NASS |
| North Carolina | Elected | 2028: Elaine Marshall (D) | No | NASS |
| North Dakota | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Ohio | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Oklahoma | Appointed | No election | No | NASS |
| Oregon | Elected | 2028: Tobias Read (D) | Yes | NASS |
| Pennsylvania | Appointed | No election | Yes | NASS |
| Rhode Island | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| South Carolina | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | No | NASS |
| South Dakota | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
| Tennessee | Chosen by legislature | No election | Yes | NASS |
| Texas | Appointed | No election | Yes | NASS |
| Utah | No secretary of state; lieutenant governor | 2028, with the governor | Yes | NASS; Utah Const. |
| Vermont | Elected | 2028: Sarah Copeland Hanzas (D) (2026 result pending certification) | Yes | NASS |
| Virginia | Appointed | No election | No | NASS |
| Washington | Elected | 2028: Steve Hobbs (D) | Yes | NASS |
| West Virginia | Elected | 2028: Kris Warner (R) | Yes | NASS |
| Wisconsin | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | No | NASS |
| Wyoming | Elected | 2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026) | Yes | NASS |
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“Chief election official” follows the NASS designation. “2030 (voted Nov. 3, 2026)” marks states whose office was on the 2026 ballot; this page names no 2026 winners.
The Seven Offices on the 2028 Ballot
Republican-held (3):
- Missouri: Denny Hoskins.
- Montana: Christi Jacobsen, who took office January 4, 2021, according to the Montana Secretary of State. Montana keeps off the ballot anyone who will have served 8 or more years as secretary of state in any 16-year period, so the seat is open in 2028.
- West Virginia: Kris Warner.
Democratic-held (4):
- North Carolina: Elaine Marshall. North Carolina’s secretary of state is not the state’s chief election official; the State Board of Elections runs elections there.
- Oregon: Tobias Read. The Oregon Constitution limits the secretary of state to 8 years in any 12-year period.
- Vermont: Sarah Copeland Hanzas. The office was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the state lists those results as unofficial, so the result is pending certification and no winner is named here. The office is up again in 2028 either way.
- Washington: Steve Hobbs.
Party labels are from the NASS directory, matched against official 2024 results in North Carolina, Oregon, Washington and Vermont.
Who Runs Elections in Each State
Six of the seven offices on the 2028 ballot are their state’s chief election official; North Carolina’s is not. Across all 50 states, the chief election official is:
- An elected secretary of state in 31 states.
- An appointed secretary of state in four: Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas.
- A secretary chosen by the legislature in three: Maine, New Hampshire and Tennessee.
- The lieutenant governor in two: Alaska and Utah. Utah’s lieutenant governor is elected jointly with the governor under the Utah Constitution, so that office is on the 2028 ballot with Utah’s governor race.
- A board, commission or other office in 10: Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Term Rules and State-Specific Exceptions
- Term length: Four years in six of the states. Vermont’s secretary of state serves two years.
- Term limits: Among the seven, Montana (8 years in any 16) and Oregon (8 years in any 12) limit service.
- Legislature-chosen offices: In Maine, New Hampshire and Tennessee, the legislature chooses the secretary of state, so the state legislative elections decide who makes that choice.
- No secretary of state: Alaska, Hawaii and Utah have a lieutenant governor instead.
How to Track the 2028 Secretary of State Races
- Watch each state’s election office for 2028 filing deadlines and primary dates.
- Watch Vermont’s canvassing committee for certification of its 2026 results.
- Check the 2028 attorney general map: all seven secretary of state states also elect an attorney general in 2028.
- Check the 2028 governor map for Utah’s governor and lieutenant governor ticket, and the 2028 presidential primary calendar for primary dates these offices help run.
What This Map Does and Doesn’t Tell You
The map shows which secretary of state offices are on the 2028 ballot and which party holds each one today. It does not show candidates, polling or who is favored, and it does not use 2026 results that have not been certified.
For the rest of the 2028 map series, see the 2028 swing-state map, the 2028 Senate map and the 2028 Senate open-seat map.
2028 Secretary of State Race Questions
How many secretary of state races are there in 2028? Seven: Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.
Which party holds more of the 2028 seats? Democrats hold four and Republicans hold three as of November 9, 2026.
Are any 2028 secretary of state seats open? Montana’s, because its secretary of state is term-limited under the state constitution.
Is every secretary of state in charge of elections? No. North Carolina’s is not; the State Board of Elections runs elections there.
Which states have no secretary of state? Alaska, Hawaii and Utah, where the lieutenant governor holds those duties.
Sources
- National Association of Secretaries of State: Membership directory (officeholders, party, selection method, chief election official)
- Montana Secretary of State: About Secretary Jacobsen
- Montana Constitution, Article IV, Section 8: limitation on terms of office
- Oregon Constitution, Article VI, Section 1
- Vermont Constitution, Chapter II, Section 43: biennial elections
- Vermont Secretary of State: 2024 general election winner listing
- Vermont Secretary of State: Election results (2026 general results labeled unofficial)
- Utah Constitution, Article VII, Section 2: governor and lieutenant governor elected jointly
- Washington Secretary of State: 2024 general election results, Secretary of State
- North Carolina State Board of Elections: Election results
- Oregon Secretary of State: November 5, 2024 General Election Abstract of Votes
