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Connecticut Secretary of State election, 2026

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2022
Connecticut Secretary of State
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 9, 2026
Primary: August 11, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Connecticut

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
Connecticut
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Secretary of State
Comptroller
Treasurer

Connecticut is holding an election forsecretary of state onNovember 3, 2026. The primary is August 11, 2026. The filing deadline is June 9, 2026.

For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia definesofficial 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 primary will occur on August 11, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Connecticut Secretary of State

IncumbentStephanie Thomas is running in the Democratic primary for Connecticut Secretary of State on August 11, 2026.


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Incumbents arebolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Connecticut Secretary of State

Peter Lumaj is running in the Republican primary for Connecticut Secretary of State on August 11, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Peter Lumaj
Peter Lumaj

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There are noincumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia 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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Candidate profiles

There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to completeBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.

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. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

No candidate in this race has completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.

Voting information

See also:Voting in Connecticut

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:Connecticut Secretary of State election, 2022

General election

General election for Connecticut Secretary of State

Stephanie Thomas defeatedDominic Rapini andCynthia Jennings in the general election for Connecticut Secretary of State on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Stephanie Thomas
Stephanie Thomas (D / Working Families Party) Candidate Connection
 
55.2
 
687,714
Image of Dominic Rapini
Dominic Rapini (R)
 
42.7
 
532,218
Image of Cynthia Jennings
Cynthia Jennings (Independent Party)
 
2.0
 
25,488

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There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,245,420
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia 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 Connecticut Secretary of State

Stephanie Thomas defeatedMaritza Bond in the Democratic primary for Connecticut Secretary of State on August 9, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Stephanie Thomas
Stephanie Thomas Candidate Connection
 
75.8
 
84,514
Image of Maritza Bond
Maritza Bond Candidate Connection
 
24.2
 
26,956

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There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 111,470
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia 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 Connecticut Secretary of State

Dominic Rapini defeatedTerrie Wood in the Republican primary for Connecticut Secretary of State on August 9, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Dominic Rapini
Dominic Rapini
 
58.2
 
51,219
Image of Terrie Wood
Terrie Wood
 
41.8
 
36,749

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There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 87,968
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia 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

2018

See also:Connecticut Secretary of State election, 2018

General election

General election for Connecticut Secretary of State

IncumbentDenise Merrill defeatedSusan Chapman,Mike DeRosa, andHeather Gwynn in the general election for Connecticut Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Denise Merrill
Denise Merrill (D)
 
55.9
 
764,067
Image of Susan Chapman
Susan Chapman (R)
 
42.5
 
580,779
Image of Mike DeRosa
Mike DeRosa (G)
 
0.9
 
12,469
Image of Heather Gwynn
Heather Gwynn (L)
 
0.8
 
10,361

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Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,367,676
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia 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

The Democratic primary election was canceled. IncumbentDenise Merrill advanced from the Democratic primary for Connecticut Secretary of State.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled.Susan Chapman advanced from the Republican primary for Connecticut Secretary of State.

2014

See also:Connecticut Secretary of State election, 2014
Secretary of State of Connecticut, 2014
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    DemocraticGreen check mark transparent.pngDenise MerrillIncumbent51%533,543
    RepublicanPeter Lumaj46.7%489,515
    GreenMike DeRosa2.3%24,038
Total Votes1,047,096
Election results viaConnecticut 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 Connecticut andThe Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Connecticut, 2026
DistrictIncumbentPVI
Connecticut's 1stJohn B. LarsonD+12
Connecticut's 2ndJoe CourtneyD+4
Connecticut's 3rdRosa DeLauroD+8
Connecticut's 4thJim HimesD+13
Connecticut's 5thJahana HayesD+3

2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines

2024 presidential results in congressional districts, Connecticut
DistrictKamala HarrisDemocratic PartyDonald TrumpRepublican Party
Connecticut's 1st61.0%38.0%
Connecticut's 2nd53.0%45.0%
Connecticut's 3rd56.0%42.0%
Connecticut's 4th61.0%38.0%
Connecticut's 5th52.0%46.0%
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, andNew. Click [show] on the table below for examples:

County-level voting pattern categories
Democratic
Status201620202024
Solid DemocraticDDD
Trending DemocraticRDD
Battleground DemocraticDRD
New DemocraticRRD
Republican
Status201620202024
Solid RepublicanRRR
Trending RepublicanDRR
Battleground RepublicanRDR
New RepublicanDDR


Following the 2024 presidential election,91.6% of Connecticuters lived in one of the state's6 Solid Democratic counties, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and8.4% lived in one of2 Solid Republican counties. Overall, Connecticut wasSolid Democratic, having voted forHillary Clinton (D) in 2016,Joe Biden (D) in 2020, andKamala Harris (D) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Connecticut following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

Connecticut county-level statistics, 2024
Solid Democratic691.6%
Solid Republican28.4%
Total voted Democratic691.6%
Total voted Republican28.4%

Historical voting trends

Connecticut presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 16Democratic wins
  • 16Republican wins
Year19001904190819121916192019241928193219361940194419481952195619601964196819721976198019841988199219962000200420082012201620202024
Winning PartyRRRDRRRRRDDDRRRDDDRRRRRDDDDDDDDD

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 Connecticut

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

U.S. Senate election results in Connecticut
RaceWinnerRunner up
202458.6%Democratic Party39.7%Republican Party
202257.5%Democratic Party42.5%Republican Party
201859.5%Democratic Party39.4%Republican Party
201663.2%Democratic Party34.6%Republican Party
201254.8%Democratic Party43.1%Republican Party
Average58.739.9

Gubernatorial elections

See also:Governor of Connecticut

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

Gubernatorial election results in Connecticut
RaceWinnerRunner up
202256.0%Democratic Party43.0%Republican Party
201849.4%Democratic Party46.2%Republican Party
201450.7%Democratic Party48.2%Republican Party
201049.5%Democratic Party49.0%Republican Party
200663.2%Republican Party35.5%Democratic Party
Average53.844.4
See also:Party control of Connecticut state government

Congressional delegation

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

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Connecticut
PartyU.S. SenateU.S. HouseTotal
Democratic257
Republican000
Independent000
Vacancies000
Total257

State executive

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

State executive officials in Connecticut, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorDemocratic PartyNed Lamont
Lieutenant GovernorDemocratic PartySusan Bysiewicz
Secretary of StateDemocratic PartyStephanie Thomas
Attorney GeneralDemocratic PartyWilliam Tong

State legislature

Connecticut State Senate

PartyAs of February 2026
    Democratic Party25
    Republican Party11
    Other0
    Vacancies0
Total 36

Connecticut House of Representatives

PartyAs of February 2026
    Democratic Party102
    Republican Party49
    Other0
    Vacancies0
Total 151

Trifecta control

Connecticut Party Control: 1992-2025
Fifteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year92939495969798990001020304050607080910111213141516171819202122232425
GovernorIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
SenateDDDRRDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
HouseDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

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

Demographic Data for Connecticut
ConnecticutUnited States
Population3,605,944331,449,281
Land area (sq mi)4,8423,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White67.6%63.4%
Black/African American10.7%12.4%
Asian4.8%5.8%
Native American0.3%0.9%
Pacific Islander0.3%0.4%
Other (single race)7.1%6.6%
Multiple9.5%10.7%
Hispanic/Latino17.8%19%
Education
High school graduation rate91.3%89.4%
College graduation rate41.9%35%
Income
Median household income$93,760$78,538
Persons below poverty level10%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 censushere.

Secretary of State elections in 2026

There are 26secretary of state seats on the ballot in2026.

See also

ConnecticutState Executive ElectionsNews and Analysis
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Connecticut State Executive Offices
Connecticut State Legislature
Connecticut Courts
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Connecticut elections:20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Party control of state government
State government trifectas
State of the state addresses
Partisan composition of governors

External links

Footnotes

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