Secretary of State of Wisconsin
Statewide — all of Wisconsin
General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- The seat is open: appointed Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski is running for lieutenant governor, the first election in more than 40 years without an incumbent seeking the office.[1][2][6]
- Wisconsin's Secretary of State does not administer elections, which are run by the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission; the office keeps the state seal, validates the state's presidential electoral certificate, and sits on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands.[1][2]
On the ballot · 3 candidates
Research notes & limits
Slate: Dane County Clerk's certified 'What's on the Ballot' list for Nov. 3, 2026 shows Jay Schroeder (REP), JoCasta Zamarripa (DEM) and Pete Karas (GRN) for Secretary of State, matching The Green Papers; the Wisconsin Elections Commission files sit behind a bot check and were not bypassed. The Green Papers also shows a Working Families line for Zamarripa that the Dane County ballot list does not print, so only the Democratic line is recorded. Zamarripa's own record as an alderperson and legislator was not itemized because no official roll-call pages were reviewed. No candidate's own words address documentary proof of citizenship; the race centers on who administers elections, which the Secretary of State does not currently do.
Sources · 17
Researched 2026-10-19. Green citations are official government records.
- 1.'MAGA activist' who wants to eliminate elections commission wins GOP nod for secretary of state · Wisconsin Examiner · 2026-08-11 News report
- 2.Wisconsin's secretary of state election this year is the first in 40 years without an incumbent on the ballot · Ballotpedia News · 2026-09-16 Reference
- 3.Meet Jay · Jay for Wisconsin (campaign) Candidate's own words
- 4.Milwaukee Alderperson and Former State Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa Announces Campaign for WI Secretary of State · Urban Milwaukee (campaign press release) · 2025-09-04 Candidate's own words
- 5.Pete Karas for Wisconsin Secretary of State · Pete for Wisconsin (campaign) Candidate's own words
- 6.What's on the Ballot (Dane County) – November 3, 2026 · Dane County Clerk Official record
- 7.'MAGA activist' who wants to eliminate elections commission wins GOP nod for secretary of state · Wisconsin Examiner · 2026-08-11 News report
- 8.Wisconsin's secretary of state election this year is the first in 40 years without an incumbent on the ballot · Ballotpedia News · 2026-09-16 Reference
- 9.Milwaukee Alderperson and Former State Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa Announces Campaign for WI Secretary of State · Urban Milwaukee (campaign press release) · 2025-09-04 Candidate's own words
- 10.JoCasta Zamarripa for Wisconsin Secretary of State · Campaign website Candidate's own words
- 11.Wisconsin Secretary of State | Voter Guide: 2026 General Election · Wisconsin Examiner News report
- 12.'MAGA activist' who wants to eliminate elections commission wins GOP nod for secretary of state · Wisconsin Examiner · 2026-08-11 News report
- 13.Wisconsin's secretary of state election this year is the first in 40 years without an incumbent on the ballot · Ballotpedia News · 2026-09-16 Reference
- 14.Meet Jay · Jay for Wisconsin (campaign) Candidate's own words
- 15.Wisconsin Secretary of State — Voter Guide: 2026 General Election · Wisconsin Examiner News report
- 16.Pete Karas for Wisconsin Secretary of State · Pete for Wisconsin (campaign) Candidate's own words
- 17.Wisconsin 2026 General Election · The Green Papers Reference