Secretary of State elections, 2020
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There were sevensecretary of state offices on the ballot in 2020. These elections were inMissouri,Montana,North Carolina,Oregon,Vermont,Washington, andWest Virginia.
Democratspicked up one office in 2020. InOregon,Shemia Fagan (D) won election, succeedingBev Clarno (R). All five incumbents who sought re-election won. Republicans maintainedMontana's office in an open-seat election.
As a result of state executive elections in 2020, Montana transitioned from divided control to a Republican triplex, and Oregon transitioned from divided control to a Democratic triplex. A triplex exists when one party holds the offices of governor, attorney general, and secretary of state.Click here for more information.
Partisan breakdown
| Partisan Breakdown: Secretaries of State | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 2020 | After the 2020 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 20 | 21 | |
| Republican Party | 26 | 25 | |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 47 | 47 | |
Offices that changed party hands
Democrats picked up one secretary of state office in the 2020 elections. InOregon,Shemia Fagan (D) won election, succeedingBev Clarno (R). Clarno did not run in 2020. Gov.Kate Brown (D) appointed Clarno on March 29, 2019. Clarno succeededDennis Richardson (R), who died while in office on February 26.[1][1]
Election results
| Secretary of State races, 2020 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race | Pre-election incumbent | Post-election incumbent | ||||||||||
| Missouri |  Jay Ashcroft | Jay Ashcroft | ||||||||||
| Montana | Corey Stapleton | Christi Jacobsen | ||||||||||
| North Carolina |  Elaine Marshall | Elaine Marshall | ||||||||||
| Oregon | Bev Clarno | Shemia Fagan | ||||||||||
| Vermont | Jim Condos | Jim Condos | ||||||||||
| Washington | Kim Wyman | Kim Wyman | ||||||||||
| West Virginia | Mac Warner | Mac Warner | ||||||||||
Margin of victory analysis
The following tables detail the margin of victory for winning candidates from the previous three elections in states that held secretary of state elections in 2020. Vermont holds secretary of state elections every two years, whereas the other six states hold those elections every four years. Vermont's margin of victory analysis is featured in a separate table below.
| Margin of victory analysis, 2008-2020 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | 2020 margin of victory | 2016 margin of victory | 2012 margin of victory | 2008 margin of victory | ||||||||
| Missouri | R+24.1 | R+19.2 | D+1.5 | D+26.2 | ||||||||
| Montana | R+19.2 | R+14.5 | D+6.3 | D+1.1 | ||||||||
| North Carolina | D+2.4 | D+4.4 | D+7.6 | D+13.6 | ||||||||
| Oregon | D+7.1 | R+4.2 | D+8.1 | D+5.2 | ||||||||
| Washington | R+7.3 | R+9.5 | R+0.8 | R+21.6 | ||||||||
| West Virginia | R+16.6 | R+1.7 | D+24.8 | R+31.0 | ||||||||
| Margin of victory analysis, 2014-2020 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | 2020 margin of victory | 2018 margin of victory | 2016 margin of victory | 2014 margin of victory | ||||||||
| Vermont | D+33.2 | D+37.3 | D+79.1 | D+60.2 | ||||||||
Incumbents defeated
No incumbent secretaries of state were defeated in 2020. Incumbents sought and won re-election in five states.
Incumbents not seeking election
- InMontana, incumbentCorey Stapleton (R) sought election to the U.S. House.
- Oregon's Secretary of StateBev Clarno (R) did not run in 2020.
Offices that changed party hands in 2019
- InKentucky,Michael Adams (R) won the open secretary of state election in 2019. Adams received 52% of the vote toHeather French Henry's (D) 48%. The previous incumbent,Alison Lundergan Grimes (D), was ineligible to seek re-election due to term limits.
Battlegrounds
Montana
Christi Jacobsen (R) defeatedBryce Bennett (D) in the general election forMontana Secretary of State on November 3, 2020. IncumbentCorey Stapleton (R) did not run for re-election, instead running in theRepublican primary for Montana's At-Large Congressional District.
In2016, Stapleton defeatedMonica Lindeen (D) 55% to 41%. Before the 2016 election, a Democrat had held the office since 2009.
In Montana, the secretary of state’s office oversees five divisions:
- TheElections and Government Services Division, which oversees elections and voter registration.
- TheAdministrative Rules Services Division, which performs administrative state law duties like filing rule notices, rule adoptions, and interpretations, and publishing the state register twice a month.
- TheBusiness Services Division, which registers business entities, trademarks, assumed business names, and liens made under the Uniform Commercial Code and Federal Food Security Act.
- TheCertification and Notaries Division, which licenses and trains notaries public and certifies documents.
- TheRecords Management Bureau, which maintains the records of state and local governments.
Montana was one of 14 states under dividedtriplex control, meaning control of the top executive positions was split between the parties or one or more of the positions are held by independent or nonpartisan officers not appointed by the governor. Both the secretary of state andattorney general were Republicans and thegovernor was a Democrat. In 2020, Montana was holding open-seat elections, meaning no incumbents were running, for all three of these offices. To read more about the gubernatorial election,click here, and to read more about the election for attorney general,click here.
Oregon
Shemia Fagan (D) defeatedKim Thatcher (R),Kyle Markley (L), andNathalie Paravicini (Pacific Green Party) in the general election for Oregon Secretary of State on November 3, 2020. IncumbentBev Clarno (R) did not run for re-election, which GovernorKate Brown (D) made a condition of her appointment after the death of former Secretary of StateDennis Richardson (R).[2]
Richardson was first elected in2016, defeatingBrad Avakian (D) 47% to 43%. In Oregon, the secretary of state is first in line for the governor's office in the case of a vacancy. Brown was the secretary of state before Richardson and became governor afterJohn Kitzhaber (D) resigned in 2015. Democrats held the secretary of state seat from 1985 to 2017.
In Oregon, the secretary of stateoversees the Elections Division, which performs election administration and oversight, the Audits Division, which provides oversight of public spending, the Corporations Division, which administers business filings, and the Archives Division, which maintains the official records of Oregon government.
If the Oregon state Legislature fails to establish aredistricting plan for state legislative districts, the secretary of state intervenes to draw the boundaries. In 2011, the Legislature redrew congressional and legislative districts without changes from the secretary of state or the courts. It was the first time this had happened since 1911.[3] Oregon’s next round of redistricting was scheduled for 2021, following the publication of the National Census.[4]
Washington
IncumbentKim Wyman (R) defeatedGael Tarleton (D) in the election forWashington secretary of state on November 3, 2020. In theAugust 4 top-two primary, Wyman received 51% to Tarleton's 43%.
Wyman was first elected in2012. In2016, she defeated DemocratTina Podlodowski 55% to 45%. Tarleton had served in theWashington House of Representatives since 2013.
The secretary of state is Washington's chief elections officer, chief corporations officer, and supervisor of the State Archives. The secretary of state oversees key parts of the state's ballot initiative process.
Washington last elected a Democratic secretary of state in 1960.[5] Republicans held two statewide positions in 2020: secretary of state and treasurer.[6]
Washington was one of 14 states with dividedtriplex control in 2020, meaning control of the top executive positions was split between the parties or independent or nonpartisan officers not appointed by the governor held one or more of the positions. Washington's governor and attorney general were Democrats, while the secretary of state was a Republican.
Triplexes
Thirteen states held elections for one or more triplex offices on November 3, 2020. Astate government triplex occurs when the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state in a given state are all members of the same political party.
In the November 3 elections, Republicans and Democratseachgained triplex status in one state.
Heading into 2020, there were 36 state government triplexes: 19 Republican triplexes and 17 Democratic triplexes. The remaining 14 states were under divided control, meaning neither party had a triplex. As a result of the November 3 elections, the total number of triplexes increased to 38:20 Republican triplexes and18 Democratic triplexes. Twelve states remained under divided control.
Montana
As a result of the 2020 elections, Montana transitioned from divided control to a Republican triplex. Republicans flipped the governor's office and maintained control of the secretary of state and attorney general offices.
- Governor:Greg Gianforte (R) defeatedMike Cooney (D),Lyman Bishop (L), and write-inChris Hall (I). Incumbent Gov.Steve Bullock (D) was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election.
Oregon
As a result of the 2020 elections, Oregon transitioned from divided control to a Democratic triplex. Democrats flipped the secretary of state's office and maintained control of the attorney general office. Incumbent Gov.Kate Brown (D) was not up for re-election in 2020.
- Secretary of State:Shemia Fagan (D) defeatedKim Thatcher (R),Kyle Markley (L), andNathalie Paravicini (Pacific Green Party). IncumbentBev Clarno (R) did not run for re-election, which Brown made a condition of her appointment after the death of former Secretary of StateDennis Richardson (R).
| Changes in triplex status | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic triplexes | Republican triplexes | Divided control | ||||
| Before 2020 election | 17 | 19 | 14 | |||
| After 2020 election | 18 | 20 | 12 | |||
Historical control
In 1977, theDemocratic Party held a total of 25 elected secretary of state offices to theRepublican Party's 10. The Democratic lead in secretary of state offices narrowed somewhat throughout the 1980s, but once again reached a 25-10 majority of elected offices in 1989 and 1990. Following the 1994 midterm elections, the Republican Party gained an 18-17 majority of elected secretary of state offices. The Democrats would regain their lead following the 2008 presidential election but lose it once again in the 2010 midterm elections. The gap between the parties widened following the 2016 elections, which increased the Republican majority of elected secretary of state offices from 21-14 to 24-11. In the 2018 elections, Democrats gained three offices while Republicans lost a fourth to an independent, narrowing the gap to 20-14. Republicans picked up one office in 2019, for a breakdown of 21-13.
About the office
Thesecretary of state is a state-level position in 47 of the 50 states. The position does not exist inAlaska,Hawaii andUtah. InMassachusetts,Pennsylvania andVirginia, the office is called thesecretary of the commonwealth and differs only in name. The voters directly elect the secretary of state in 35 states. In the other 12, the secretary is appointed by either thegovernor or the state legislature.
The position's duties are generally administrative, and no two states have identical responsibilities delegated to the secretary of state. Many are tasked with keeping state records, from registering businesses to recording the official acts of the governor. The officeholder also often serves as the chief election official in their state, administering state elections and maintaining official election results. The commissioning and regulation of notaries public, keeping of the official state seal, and certification of official documents all typically fall under the purview of the secretary of state.
Analysis of state elections
In November 2020, regular elections were held for 86 of 99 state legislative chambers, plus 11 gubernatorial offices, nine lieutenant gubernatorial offices, 10 attorney general offices, and seven secretary of state offices.
Election analysis
All state elections
- Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection report
- Noteworthy recounts in the United States
- Incumbent win rates by state
- Results of state elected officials seeking other offices, 2020
- Analysis of rejected ballots in the 2020 general election
- Analysis of ballot curing in the 2020 general election
- Analysis of voter turnout in the 2020 general election
- Ballotpedia's Top 15 elections to watch, 2020
- Split-ticket voting in statewide elections in 2018 and 2020
- Trends in the margins of victory for incumbents of three or more terms, 2018-2024
Trifectas
- State government trifectas in the 2020 elections
- Historical and potential changes in trifectas
- Trifecta vulnerability in the 2020 elections
- Presidential election results by trifecta status
- Gubernatorial and presidential split-ticket states
State executive elections
- Partisan balance of governors
- State government triplexes
- Annual State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2020
- States with both gubernatorial and U.S. Senate elections in 2020
State legislative elections
- Number of state legislators by party
- Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 10, 2020
- Effect of the 2020 elections on redistricting
- Rematches in 2020 general elections
- State legislative veto-proof majorities
- State legislative battleground chambers, 2020
- Veto-proof state legislatures and opposing party governors in the 2020 elections
- Races decided by fewer than 100 votes
- Margin of victory analysis for the 2020 state legislative elections
- State legislative seats flipped
- State legislative special election changes in party control since 2010
- State legislative chambers that changed party control
- State legislative seats that changed party control
- Comparison of state legislative election and session dates, 2020
State ballot measures
- Ballot Measure Scorecard, 2020
- Ballotpedia's Tuesday Count for 2020
- Ballotpedia's top 15 ballot measures to watch on Nov. 3
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑1.01.1Governor's Office, "Governor Brown Appoints Former Oregon Speaker of the House Bev Clarno as Secretary of State," March 29, 2019
- ↑Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Bev Clarno, Former House Speaker, Will Be Oregon's Next Secretary Of State," March 29, 2019
- ↑City Club of Portland, "Lines That Don't Divide: A City Club of Portland report on improving Oregon's redistricting process," February 17, 2012
- ↑Oregon Secretary of State, "Redistricting Reform Task Force," accessed October 7, 2020
- ↑Washington Secretary of State, "Washington's Secretaries of State - Past and Present," accessed October 13, 2020
- ↑Associated Press, "Voters weigh in on statewide offices on primary election day," August 4, 2020
- ↑7.07.17.2Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2017 - Secretaries of State: Election and Registration Duties," accessed December 3, 2017
