Secretary of State Races Are More Competitive and Important Than Ever

[diva77]

Voter ID battles and cybersecurity concerns have intensified and elevated these races. Republicans have more seats -- and the most to lose.
by Louis Jacobson | June 4, 2018

http://www.governing.com/topics/politics/gov-secretary-state-races-2018.html

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Currently, Republicans hold 28 secretary of state offices, and the Democrats hold 17.
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All told, Republicans will have to defend seven competitive seats, compared to just two for the Democrats. Given the possibility of a Democratic wave in the midterm elections, this imbalance in competitive seats suggests the Democrats could gain a few seats.
SNIP
Lean Republican

Georgia: Open seat; held by Brian Kemp (R)

Two Republican candidates will face each other in a runoff: former state Rep. Brad Raffensperger and former Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle. The winner will square off against the Democratic nominee, former U.S. Rep. John Barrow. Until the final matchup emerges, we'll put this contest at lean Republican.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (R)

This race will likely center on a voter ID law passed by the GOP-controlled Iowa General Assembly in 2017. Pate supported the law, and Democrats see it as a factor energizing their base. The two Democratic candidates are Deidre DeJear, a former Barack Obama outreach organizer, and Jim Mowrer, an Iraq War veteran who ran twice for Congress. Either would need a reasonably strong blue wave in the state to oust the incumbent.

Ohio: Open seat; held by Jon Husted (R)

Republican state Sen. Frank LaRose and Democratic state Rep. Kathleen Clyde will face off in a competitive November contest. The GOP's recent success in statewide contests leads us to start this race off as lean Republican. But if Democratic gubernatorial candidate Richard Cordray catches a blue wave, Clyde could benefit.

Kansas: Open seat; held by Kris Kobach (R)

After eight years of controversy under Kobach -- a champion of tough voter fraud laws -- the race to succeed him is wide open. On the Republican side, the field consists of several credible candidates, including state Reps. Scott Schwab and Keith Esau, former deputy assistant Secretary of State Craig McCullah and former Sam Brownback administration official Dennis Taylor. The Democrats have one candidate, but he's intriguingly outside-the-box: Brian McClendon, a former executive with Google and Uber who is originally from Lawrence. McClendon's deep pockets, combined with the post-Kobach hangover and a relatively strong rest of the ballot for Kansas Democrats, makes this contest more competitive than usual for the Jayhawk State.

Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams (R)

Williams has been reasonably popular, but if a Democratic wave develops in Colorado, his opponent, attorney and activist Jena Griswold, could mount a serious challenge. She faces long historical odds: Democrats have not won the office in six decades.

Tossup

Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske (R)

This race will tilt depending on the strength of a possible blue wave. Cegavske is expected to face Democratic state Assemblyman Nelson Araujo. Polling shows Araujo slightly ahead, but it's premature to call this anything but a tossup.

Lean Democratic

Michigan: Open seat; held by Ruth Johnson (R)

In Michigan, the two parties will select their nominees in late August state conventions. The Republican front-runners are Stan Grot, the Shelby Township clerk and former Macomb County commissioner, and Mary Treder Lang, an accountant and Eastern Michigan University regent. Either would face a tough race against former Wayne State University law school dean Jocelyn Benson, particularly if a blue wave develops. Benson lost a previous bid for the seat narrowly in 2010, which was an awful environment for a Democrat.

Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill (D)

Merrill prevailed by a fairly wide margin amid a challenge at the state convention by Karen Talamelli Cusick, a Democratic town chairwoman. Republicans, hoping that voter angst over Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy's two terms will spill over into other statewide contests, are pinning their hopes on Susan Chapman, a former first selectwoman. Merrill is the favorite for November -- but not a solid one.

New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver (D)

Democrats have a strong shot at winning back the governorship this year, and if they do, they should be fine in the secretary of state race, too. (It doesn't hurt that the last Republican to hold the office, Dianna Duran, went to prison on fraud and embezzlement charges.) Republican JoHanna Cox, a former prosecutor, should be able to run a credible campaign. A wild card is the Libertarian candidacy of Sandra Jeff, who previously served in the legislature as a Democrat. For now, though, this race leans Democratic.
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This article is from June 2018, so status may have changed in some races

Send $$$$ to candidates!!
Write those postcards!!!!

[dalton99a]

1. Kick

[elleng]

2. Has the Dem party mentioned this? Worked on it?

We seem to have been victimized by this disparity for a LONG time.

[pat_k]

4. They better be. It's been a top priority for Repubs for more than a decade.

Check out the maps on the Republican Secretaries of State Committee site.
https://rslc.gop/map-center/

Things went all to hell in 2008 for democracy when the right took control of SOS offices in a vast majority of states.

They have systematically worked to take over SOS offices for one reason, and one reason only. To keep Democratic voters out of the voting booth by any means necessary.

I think our Democratic leaders took their eye off the ball. I hope there is a big, coordinated, effort to undo the damage underway. The Repubs worked under the mainstream political radar. Since I haven't heard much "noise" on this from "our side," I can only hope leaders at the state level are coordinating and working furiously "under the radar" to undo the damage.

[elleng]

6. Exactly It's been a top priority for Repubs for more than a decade.

I'm afraid there ISN'T a big, coordinated, effort to undo the damage.

[pat_k]

7. Did a little looking around

The Democratic Secretaries of State Association appears to have mounted an extremely feeble effort.

From Republican gains in secretary of state posts jolt Democrats (WashPo)

"...Democrats will start out relatively small in this year’s election..."

The massive takeover happened in 2008. Took you guys a decade to be "Jolted"?

Why start out thinking "small." The current state of affairs wasn't enough of a "Jolt" to kick you into high gear? What is wrong with you! What is wrong with us?

Sometimes I feel like I'm a member of the brain-damaged party.

Unlike the Republican Secretaries of State Committee, which has electing Republican SOSs front and center on their agenda, and on their site, I can't find anything equivalent on Democratic party's counterpart http://www.demsofstate.org

The site has plenty about efforts to strip voting rights, but they just make "statements"... if they aren't out there trying to raise A LOT of money to DO SOMETHING, what good are they? "Issues" are all well and good, but get on the ball! Electing Democratic SOSs should be their front and center battle cry. It should be their reason for existence!

At least iVote (below) is trying to do something:

iVote put 5 million into an effort
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/01/25/democratic-group-will-spend-5-million-to-elect-secretaries-of-state-the-latest-front-in-voting-wars/?utm_term=.fd25d9bccff6

iVote site:
https://www.ivoteforamerica.org/secretaries_of_state

It's late in the game, but FWIW, I just donated.

[elleng]

9. DAMN!

[diva77]

11. Thanks for finding this info. I'm embarrassed to say that I was unaware the existence of

demsofstate.org

none of the SOS organizations speak out about much of anything - I think it's for a reason...

[pat_k]

12. There are so many areas...

...in desperate need of attention.

Each of us can only do so much. I think we are most effective when we pick a couple things and really dig into them. I just wish we had leadership in the party establishment we could rely on to be on top of something so central as taking back the offices we must hold if we are to protect the most fundamental right we have as a people.

It is probably a pipe dream, but I would love to see action at the Federal level that would change the incentives like this:

http://www.greatergoodusa.com/2018/09/09/put-an-end-to-long-lines-to-vote/

[diva77]

5. I am unaware of any mention of it -- but I haven't been following whatever the

officials of the party have been saying.

People need to give $$$$ to Dem SOS candidates!!!

[pat_k]

8. I looked around as little

See post above
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211270560#post7

[Snackshack]

3. Yep.

Ken Blackwell or Kathleen Harris ring a bell? Republicans have been focused on local & state politics for a very long time. That is why they control a majority of state governments. Which gives them control over who can and who cannot vote and how & where people vote. It’s not that they got lucky and ended up in total control...they have been working towards this for decades. I am not optimistic about the mid terms...between voter I’d laws, voter purging, gerrymandering and outside influences I will actually be surprised if Dems win back a majority in either chamber. Republicans like where they are at and they are not going to give it up because voters feel differently.

[pat_k]

10. Sometimes I wonder if I'm a member of the brain-damaged party

I looked around a bit to see what sort of efforts have been mounted within the Democratic establishment. What I found is very depressing (with one bright spot -- some "outsiders": iVote)

See post above

[diva77]

13. kik