Democrats win secretary of state races in four presidential battlegrounds

Democrats won secretary of state contests in four presidential battlegrounds, keeping control of election administration in three and taking it in a fourth ahead of the 2028 elections ¹. The secretary of state is the official who typically runs elections at the state level, and the job has become far more visible amid unfounded claims of election fraud ¹.

Democratic candidates held the office in Arizona, Michigan and Nevada, and flipped it in Georgia, according to NBC News ¹. Democrats also gained secretary of state control in the Republican-leaning states of Indiana and Ohio ¹.

Georgia: a TV judge succeeds Raffensperger

In Georgia, Democrat Penny Brown Reynolds will succeed Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who drew President Donald Trump's ire for rebuffing his push to overturn the state's 2020 election results ¹. She defeated state Rep. Tim Fleming, a former aide to outgoing Republican Gov. Brian Kemp who was endorsed by Trump ¹.

Reynolds, known for a family court television show and for serving in the Biden administration, campaigned as a judge who would stand up to Trump while following the law in running state elections ¹. Fleming did not go as far as other Republicans in claiming the 2020 election was stolen, but said there were "irregularities" and called for new mail voting restrictions ¹.

From Channel GOPHinojosa promises $1,500 back to every Texas householdGina Hinojosa · 138 plays · captioned, with the source named

Michigan, Arizona and Nevada

In Michigan, Democratic Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist beat Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini, a Republican, to succeed Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who won the state's race for governor ¹. Gilchrist had criticized Forlini for sharing voter data with the Trump administration and hiring a Jan. 6 protester to his office ¹.

In Arizona and Nevada, incumbent Democrats Adrian Fontes and Cisco Aguilar fended off challenges from far-right Republicans whose careers were rooted in advancing election conspiracy theories, enjoying far better margins than they had in similar 2022 matchups ¹.

Red-state gains in Ohio and Indiana

Democratic state Rep. Allison Russo will be the next secretary of state of Ohio, defeating Republican state Treasurer Robert Sprague, as her party also flipped Senate and gubernatorial seats in a state that has shifted to the right in recent years ¹.

In Indiana, Beau Bayh, a 30-year-old scion of a longtime Democratic family in the state, beat Republican state Rep. Max Engling ¹. Engling had replaced Indiana's Republican incumbent, Diego Morales, who was embroiled in allegations of corruption and ethics violations, at the party's nominating convention ¹. Bayh spent more than $8.6 million on ads, according to AdImpact, campaigning heavily on fighting corruption ¹.

In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa's win in the governor's race is also expected to give the party authority over the administration of state elections, because Texas' secretary of state is appointed by the governor, with concurrent terms ¹.

Not everywhere

Top-of-the-ticket wins didn't translate to secretary of state success everywhere ¹. In Iowa, Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate fended off a challenge from Democrat Ryan Peterman, even as Democrats won Senate and governor's races in the state ¹. In South Carolina, Republican Secretary of State Mark Hammond beat Democratic challenger Jason Belton, even as Democrat Annie Andrews prevailed in the Senate race ¹.

In Kansas, where voters haven't elected a Democrat as secretary of state since 1948, the race between Democratic state Rep. Jennifer Day and Republican state Rep. Pat Proctor was too close to call, according to NBC News' Decision Desk ¹.

That matters because these offices will run the 2028 presidential election in states that decided the last several White House races ¹. All four battleground states saw challenges to the 2020 election results, and secretaries of state in these and other states have faced a steady stream of lawsuits and threats ¹.

The Record

1. Nov 3, 2026Democrats hold secretary of state offices in Arizona, Michigan and Nevada and flip Georgia, while gaining control in Indiana and Ohio ¹
2. Nov 3, 2026Beau Bayh spends more than $8.6 million on ads in the Indiana secretary of state race, according to AdImpact ¹
3. Nov 3, 2026The Kansas secretary of state race between Jennifer Day and Pat Proctor is too close to call, per NBC News' Decision Desk ¹

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<h2>Democrats win secretary of state races in four presidential battlegrounds</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/democrats-win-secretary-of-state-races-in-four-presidential-battlegrounds">The GOP Files</a> on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.</em></p> <p>Democrats won secretary of state contests in four presidential battlegrounds, keeping control of election administration in three and taking it in a fourth ahead of the 2028 elections . The secretary of state is the official who typically runs elections at the state level, and the job has become far more visible amid unfounded claims of election fraud .</p> <p>Democratic candidates held the office in Arizona, Michigan and Nevada, and flipped it in Georgia, according to NBC News . Democrats also gained secretary of state control in the Republican-leaning states of Indiana and Ohio .</p> <h2>Georgia: a TV judge succeeds Raffensperger</h2> <p>In Georgia, Democrat Penny Brown Reynolds will succeed Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who drew President Donald Trump&#39;s ire for rebuffing his push to overturn the state&#39;s 2020 election results . She defeated state Rep. Tim Fleming, a former aide to outgoing Republican Gov. Brian Kemp who was endorsed by Trump .</p> <p>Reynolds, known for a family court television show and for serving in the Biden administration, campaigned as a judge who would stand up to Trump while following the law in running state elections . Fleming did not go as far as other Republicans in claiming the 2020 election was stolen, but said there were &quot;irregularities&quot; and called for new mail voting restrictions .</p> <h2>Michigan, Arizona and Nevada</h2> <p>In Michigan, Democratic Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist beat Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini, a Republican, to succeed Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who won the state&#39;s race for governor . Gilchrist had criticized Forlini for sharing voter data with the Trump administration and hiring a Jan. 6 protester to his office .</p> <p>In Arizona and Nevada, incumbent Democrats Adrian Fontes and Cisco Aguilar fended off challenges from far-right Republicans whose careers were rooted in advancing election conspiracy theories, enjoying far better margins than they had in similar 2022 matchups .</p> <h2>Red-state gains in Ohio and Indiana</h2> <p>Democratic state Rep. Allison Russo will be the next secretary of state of Ohio, defeating Republican state Treasurer Robert Sprague, as her party also flipped Senate and gubernatorial seats in a state that has shifted to the right in recent years .</p> <p>In Indiana, Beau Bayh, a 30-year-old scion of a longtime Democratic family in the state, beat Republican state Rep. Max Engling . Engling had replaced Indiana&#39;s Republican incumbent, Diego Morales, who was embroiled in allegations of corruption and ethics violations, at the party&#39;s nominating convention . Bayh spent more than $8.6 million on ads, according to AdImpact, campaigning heavily on fighting corruption .</p> <p>In Texas, Democrat Gina Hinojosa&#39;s win in the governor&#39;s race is also expected to give the party authority over the administration of state elections, because Texas&#39; secretary of state is appointed by the governor, with concurrent terms .</p> <h2>Not everywhere</h2> <p>Top-of-the-ticket wins didn&#39;t translate to secretary of state success everywhere . In Iowa, Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate fended off a challenge from Democrat Ryan Peterman, even as Democrats won Senate and governor&#39;s races in the state . In South Carolina, Republican Secretary of State Mark Hammond beat Democratic challenger Jason Belton, even as Democrat Annie Andrews prevailed in the Senate race .</p> <p>In Kansas, where voters haven&#39;t elected a Democrat as secretary of state since 1948, the race between Democratic state Rep. Jennifer Day and Republican state Rep. Pat Proctor was too close to call, according to NBC News&#39; Decision Desk .</p> <p>That matters because these offices will run the 2028 presidential election in states that decided the last several White House races . All four battleground states saw challenges to the 2020 election results, and secretaries of state in these and other states have faced a steady stream of lawsuits and threats .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/democrats-win-secretary-of-state-races-in-four-presidential-battlegrounds">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/democrats-win-secretary-of-state-races-in-four-presidential-battlegrounds.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. NBC News, “Democrats score key secretary of state wins ahead of the 2028 election” (2026-11-04). nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/democrats-score-key-secre
2. The Guardian, “Democrats aim to sweep most US governor elections after wins in key states” (2026-11-04). theguardian.com/us-news/2026/nov/03/democrats-governor-races

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