2026 Colorado Secretary of State election
Election for Colorado Secretary of State
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The 2026 Colorado Secretary of State election will take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the secretary of state of Colorado. Incumbent Democratic secretary Jena Griswold is term-limited and ineligible to seek reelection.
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November 3, 2026
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Background
Incumbent secretary of state Jena Griswold who previously won in 2018 and was reelected in 2022, is term-limited and is running for Attorney General in 2026. Jefferson County clerk and recorder Amanda Gonzalez and state senator Jessie Danielson competed in the Democratic primary. Gonzalez won the primary with around 64% of the vote.[1] The Republican candidate, James Wiley, ran unopposed.[1]
Campaign
Before becoming Jefferson County clerk and recorder in 2022, Gonzalez previously served as director of a organization called Colorado Common Cause, an advocacy group that aims to increase ballot access to voters and limit the influence of money in politics.[1] After becoming clerk and recorder of Jefferson county, Gonzalez has overseen election operations of the county.[1] Throughout the primary and general election, Gonzalez has said she will advocate for voting rights and upholding Colorado's electoral system if elected.[1] She has also said she will defend the state's mail-in ballots voting system, advocate for electoral transparency and streamline Colorado’s campaign finance site TRACER if elected.[2]
Republican candidate James Wiley was perviously director of the Libertarian Party of Colorado before switching party affiliations to run for secretary of state. Colorado Public Radio described Wiley as a "MAHA Republican", someone aligned with the pro-Trump political health movement.[1] Wiley has stated his belief that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election.[3] Wiley has stated that if elected, he plans to remove the entirety of the state's voter rolls and require every voter in the state to re-register in person to continue to vote.[3] He plans to decertify all electronic voting machines and end mail-in voting in the state if elected.[4] Several of his proposed polices have been criticized by Republican and Democratic election experts as impractical, expensive, likely illegal under state and federal law, and a misunderstanding of election law.[3] According to the election law organization States United Action, Wiley has promoted conspiracies theories and misinformation about the legitimacy of elections.[5][6]
Democratic primary
Candidates
To move forward to the primary, candidates had to petition onto the ballot or achieve 30% or more at the Colorado Democratic Party State Assembly. No candidates petitioned onto the primary ballot. Both Amanda Gonzalez and Jessie Danielson went through the State Assembly process. Both candidates achieved 30% or more.[7]
Nominee
- Amanda Gonzalez, Jefferson County clerk and recorder[8]
Eliminated in primary
- Jessie Danielson, state senator from the 22nd district (2019–present)[9]
Declined
- Jeff Bridges, state senator from the 26th district (2019–present)[10] (running for state treasurer)
Endorsements
- State legislators
- Rhonda Fields, former state senator from the 28th district (2017–2025)[11]
- Labor unions
- Organizations
- Newspapers
- Organizations
- Latino Victory Fund[16]
- LGBTQ Victory Fund[17]
- LPAC[18]
- New American Leaders Action Fund[19]
- Our Revolution[20]
- Political parties
- Colorado Working Families Party[21]
Results
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
- 50–60%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Amanda Gonzalez | 530,299 | 64.4 | |
| Democratic | Jessie Danielson | 293,351 | 35.6 | |
| Total votes | 823,650 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- James Wiley, former executive director of the Libertarian Party of Colorado[22]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | James Wiley | 445,626 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 445,626 | 100.0 | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Alex Astley[23]
Eliminated in primary
- Sean Vadney[24]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libertarian | Alex Astley | 2,204 | 61.9 | |
| Libertarian | Sean Vadney | 1,357 | 38.1 | |
| Total votes | 3,561 | 100.0 | ||
Independents
General election
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[27] | Safe D | August 7, 2025 |
Post-primary endorsements
- Organizations