Denny Hoskins
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Denny L. Hoskins (born October 10, 1974) is an American politician who is currently serving as the 41st Secretary of State of Missouri since 2025. He previously served as a member of the Missouri Senate for the 21st District until 2024. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected to the Senate in 2016. He previously served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2009 to 2017.[1][2]
Denny Hoskins | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2025 | |
| 41st Secretary of State of Missouri | |
| Assumed office January 13, 2025 | |
| Governor | Mike Kehoe |
| Preceded by | Jay Ashcroft |
| Member of the Missouri Senate from the 21st district | |
| In office January 4, 2017 – January 13, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | David Pearce |
| Succeeded by | Kurtis Gregory |
| Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 54th district | |
| In office January 9, 2013 – January 4, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Jeanie Lauer |
| Succeeded by | Dan Houx |
| Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 121st district | |
| In office January 3, 2009 – January 9, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | David Pearce |
| Succeeded by | Keith Frederick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 10, 1974 Jefferson City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Michelle Rogers |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | University of Central Missouri (BBA) |
Missouri House of Representatives
Hoskins was first elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2008 to represent the 121st District.[3][4] Hoskins was reelected in the 2010, 2012, and 2014 elections. Hoskins was term limited and ran for the Missouri Senate in the 2016 election.[5][6]
Missouri Senate
Hoskins was elected to the Missouri Senate in the 2016 election to represent the 21st District. In the midst of Missouri facing a budget shortfall, one of Hoskins' first votes as a state senator was to vote for a pay increase for state legislators. Hoskins was one of only two senators to vote for the pay increase.[7]
In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoskins called for a special session of the Missouri legislature to implement legislation to prevent private-sector companies from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for staff and customers.[8]
Hoskins has filibustered sports betting legislation in Missouri that doesn't include language on video lottery terminals (VLTs). Adding his own sportsbook regulation bills, Hoskins sees VLTs in the same area that needs to become regulated and taxed.[9]
He was a member of the Missouri Freedom Caucus.[10]
Defamation lawsuit
In April 2024, Hoskins was sued for defamation by Denton Loudermill of Olathe, Kansas, after Hoskins shared an image on social media of Loudermill in handcuffs, falsely identifying him as an undocumented immigrant and as a shooter at the 2024 Kansas City parade shooting.[11]
Missouri Secretary of State
In March 2025, Hoskins suspended payments for library subscriptions to OverDrive, Inc., a supplier for digital audiobooks and ebooks, alleging the app gives minors access to inappropriate content.[12]
Through 2025 and 2026, Hoskins was challenged with lawsuits for "deceptive and prejudicial" ballot summaries for initiative petitions related to education funding and access,[13] an amendment to remove income tax and expand sales tax, and others.[14]
In July 2026, Hoskins threatened to pull funding from Daniel Boone Regional Library in Columbia, Missouri over an LGBTQ-themed story time.[15][16]
Electoral history
State representative
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Denny L. Hoskins | 1,246 | 72.32% | ||
| Republican | Steven R. Hedrick | 477 | 27.68% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Denny L. Hoskins | 7,008 | 50.44% | −16.59 | |
| Democratic | Jim Jackson | 6,886 | 49.56% | +21.24 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Denny L. Hoskins | 5,292 | 57.85% | +7.41 | |
| Democratic | Courtney Cole | 3,480 | 38.04% | −11.52 | |
| Libertarian | Bill Wayne | 376 | 4.11% | +4.11 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Denny Hoskins | 9,342 | 62.01% | +4.16 | |
| Democratic | Nancy Maxwell | 4,511 | 29.95% | −8.09 | |
| Independent | Eddie Osborne | 1,211 | 8.04% | +8.04 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Denny Hoskins | 6,421 | 79.54% | +17.53 | |
| Constitution | Daniel Piemons | 1,652 | 20.46% | +20.46 | |
State Senate
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Denny Hoskins | 11,219 | 58.51% | ||
| Republican | Mike McGhee | 7,954 | 41.49% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Denny Hoskins | 50,288 | 67.63 | +2.50 | |
| Democratic | ElGene Ver Dught | 19,988 | 26.88 | −3.39 | |
| Libertarian | William Truman (Bill) Wayne | 4,077 | 5.48 | +0.88 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Denny Hoskins | 61,698 | 79.82 | +12.19 | |
| Libertarian | Mark Bliss | 15,595 | 20.18 | +14.70 | |
Secretary of State
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Denny Hoskins | 157,116 | 24.42 | |
| Republican | Shane Schoeller | 108,289 | 16.83 | |
| Republican | Mike Carter | 91,866 | 14.28 | |
| Republican | Dean Plocher | 86,659 | 13.47 | |
| Republican | Mary Elizabeth Coleman | 72,938 | 11.34 | |
| Republican | Valentina Gomez | 47,931 | 7.45 | |
| Republican | Jamie Corley | 46,314 | 7.20 | |
| Republican | Adam Schwadron | 32,335 | 5.03 | |
| Total votes | 643,448 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Denny Hoskins | 1,677,902 | 57.66% | −2.93% | |
| Democratic | Barbara Phifer | 1,154,090 | 39.66% | +3.38% | |
| Libertarian | Carl Freese | 49,113 | 1.69% | −0.18% | |
| Green | Jerome Bauer | 29,012 | 1.00% | +0.19% | |
| Total votes | 2,910,117 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Republican hold | |||||