Trump’s Influence Continues to Shape Secretary of State Contests Across Battleground States

The ongoing influence of former President Donald Trump is significantly shaping the contests for secretary of state positions in key battleground states. Trump’s calls to ‘nationalize’ elections and his repeated, yet unfounded, allegations of voter fraud have become central to the races in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada. In these races, Democratic candidates have highlighted Trump’s controversial statements and recent actions by his administration, such as lawsuits concerning state voter rolls and an FBI raid on an Atlanta-area election hub, as part of a broader strategy to focus on election protection.

Republican candidates for these positions have generally aligned themselves with Trump’s aggressive stance and unproven claims that the 2020 election was ‘stolen.’ Four years prior, Democrats warned that if Republicans were to win these secretary of state races, they might have the capacity to interfere with the 2024 presidential election. Democrats are now updating their strategies to emphasize that the stakes are even higher with Trump’s resurgence in political influence.

“The bad guys are on the inside now,” remarked Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, highlighting the increased power and visibility of those who propagate falsehoods about election integrity.

Arizona’s race features Democratic incumbent Fontes, who faces a Republican opponent, state Rep. Alexander Kolodin. Kolodin was part of the group supporting Trump as an alternate presidential elector in 2020 and was involved in legal attempts to contest the ascribed election outcomes. Though not officially endorsed by Trump, he features a commendation from the former president on his campaign website.

In Georgia, Trump’s influence is also prominent in the secretary of state race. The FBI recently executed a search warrant regarding the 2020 election at a Fulton County election hub, emphasizing the scrutiny on this contest. With Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger running for governor after opposing Trump’s push to ‘find’ extra votes in 2020, the upcoming election features both vigorous Republican and Democratic primaries. The Democrats include candidates like Dana Barrett who has been vocal against Trump. Meanwhile, on the Republican side, candidates such as Gabriel Sterling and Vernon Jones, a Trump ally who consistently supports Trump’s debunked fraud claims, are vying for attention.

Sterling, reflecting his stance through social media posts, emphasized that the federal government should not take control of state elections, marking his candidacy as one that adheres to the law and protects voting rights without federal interference. Conversely, Jones, who has been evasive about his agreement with Trump’s nationalization comments, stressed ensuring free and fair elections for Georgia.

Michigan’s race features outgoing Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who, having resisted pressures to overturn the 2020 election results, is running for governor. Republican candidates include Anthony Forlini, focusing on noncitizen voting allegations, and Trump supporter Monica Yatooma. Both have aligned closely with Trump’s election views.

In Nevada, Democratic Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar faces Republican Sharron Angle. Angle has a history of unsuccessfully contesting statewide offices and was involved in a lawsuit to challenge Nevada’s certification of the 2020 election results, citing voter fraud.

The approach by Republican candidates to embrace Trump’s election discourse showed ineffective in swing states four years ago, with Democratic candidates defeating opponents who largely ran on disproven claims. However, with Trump having greater access to federal resources, the dynamics of the 2026 elections could steer drastically depending on the outcomes of these current races.

According to Joanna Lydgate from States United Action, while so-called election denial remains prevalent, the stakes are higher with Trump having more tools at his disposal.