Secretary of State of Idaho
Phil McGrane
Idaho Secretary of State (since 2023)RINCUMBENT
- Race
- Secretary of State of Idaho
- Election
- 2026-11-03
- Opponent
- Shawn Keenan (D)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did0 statements · 0 votes
Phil McGrane is Idaho's Republican Secretary of State and is seeking a second term. A lawyer who began as an elections specialist in the Ada County Clerk's office, he rose to chief deputy and then served as Ada County Clerk from 2019 to 2023 before taking statewide office.[1][2][3]
On the ballotSecretary of State
2026-11-03
| Phil McGrane R | incumbent |
| Shawn Keenan D | challenger |
Advanced unopposed from the May 19 Republican primary.
Biography
Phil McGrane is Idaho's Republican Secretary of State and is seeking a second term. A lawyer who began as an elections specialist in the Ada County Clerk's office, he rose to chief deputy and then served as Ada County Clerk from 2019 to 2023 before taking statewide office.[1][2][3]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
McGrane was born in Pocatello, Idaho, grew up in the Boise area and lives in Hidden Springs.[2][3] He earned an associate degree from Pierce College at Puyallup in 2002, a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Washington in 2005, a law degree from the University of Denver in 2010 and a master's degree in public administration from Boise State University in 2014.[2]
His career experience includes co-founding Boiler Room Chats, Inc. and serving as its president, and working as a pitmaster with Phil & Lou BBQ.[2] He worked in the Ada County Clerk's office as an election specialist and later served as chief deputy clerk.[2][3] McGrane was Ada County Clerk from 2019 to 2023.[2][3]
He was elected Idaho's 28th Secretary of State and took office on January 2, 2023.[2][3] He advanced from the May 19, 2026 Republican primary and faces Democrat Shawn Keenan in the November 3 general election.[1]
On the record
Official actions: bills, executive acts, filings and court records.
- actionPartnered with Idaho's 44 county clerks to adopt the '12 Principles of Idaho Elections,' a statement of commitment to accessible, secure, locally run elections.[4][5]
- actionHelped implement the 'Only Citizens Will Vote' Act and worked with the Legislature on stronger voter ID protections and voter-roll maintenance (his campaign's description).[5]
In their own words
Priorities
- Protect elections: his campaign cites running the largest election in Idaho history and strengthening safeguards.[6]
- Protect lands, saying he trained as a wildland firefighter and works with timber, mining, agriculture and recreation interests.[6]
- Reduce red tape and increase transparency, including a redesigned VoteIdaho.gov and modernized campaign-finance and lobbyist reporting systems.[5]
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote
“strengthening Idaho's work to verify voter eligibility and ensure that only U.S. citizens vote in Idaho elections.”[5]
On helping implement Gov. Brad Little's 'Only Citizens Will Vote' Act, from his campaign site.
Campaign moneyNo FEC filing summary matched — state candidates file with their state, not the FEC.
Profile: /people/phil-mcgrane
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Sources cited in this profile
- 1.Idaho Secretary of State election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-10-19 Reference
- 2.Phil McGrane · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.Meet Secretary McGrane · Idaho Secretary of State · 2026-10-19 Official record
- 4.12 Principles of Idaho Elections · Idaho Secretary of State Official record
- 5.Delivering Results for Idaho · McGrane for Idaho campaign Candidate's own words
- 6.Phil McGrane for Idaho · McGrane for Idaho campaign Candidate's own words