President Donald Trump’s push to “nationalize” elections and his persistent falsehoods about election fraud are central to this year’s secretary of state races in critical battleground states.
In Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada, Democratic candidates are spotlighting Trump’s rhetoric and actions, including lawsuits targeting state voter rolls and the recent FBI raid on an Atlanta election facility, as part of a campaign to safeguard electoral integrity.
Conversely, Republican contenders for these pivotal positions have largely embraced Trump’s combative stance and his unsubstantiated claims regarding the 2020 election being stolen.
Four years ago, the secretary of state races—typically low-profile—gained national attention as Democrats warned that Republican victories could lead to interference in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
Now, with Trump back in the political arena, Democrats are recalibrating their strategies, asserting that the stakes are even higher. “The bad guys are on the inside now,” remarked Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat seeking re-election this November. “You’ve got various folks who are just flat-out lying about elections, including the president. Now they have high levels of power and visibility.”
Fontes faces Republican challenger Alexander Kolodin, who has been involved in multiple lawsuits aimed at overturning the 2020 election results in Arizona. Although Kolodin has not received an official endorsement from Trump, his campaign website features a quote from the former president praising him as “one hell of an attorney.”
Kolodin did not respond to inquiries regarding his campaign.
In Georgia, Trump’s fixation on the election is a focal point in the secretary of state race, especially following the FBI’s search warrant execution at a Fulton County election hub for records related to the 2020 election.
The race to replace Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger—who famously rebuffed Trump’s request to “find” more votes—features competitive primaries on both sides. The Democratic primary includes Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett, known for her vocal opposition to Trump and his allies. Barrett gained attention last year for refusing to approve two Republican nominees alleged to be election deniers. Other Democratic candidates include Penny Brown Reynolds, a former TV judge with Biden administration ties, and Adrian Consonery, a voting rights advocate.
The Republican primary is a four-way contest led by Gabriel Sterling, the chief operating officer in Georgia’s secretary of state office, who has become a prominent figure amid threats faced by election officials post-2020. Sterling stated his commitment to preventing federal overreach in elections: “There should never be a Federal takeover of our elections. I will never allow this, regardless of the party in power.”
Vernon Jones, a Trump supporter and former Democratic legislator who switched parties in 2021, has also entered the race. When asked about Trump’s desire to nationalize elections, Jones emphasized his focus on ensuring fair elections for Georgia voters. He remarked on the FBI raid: “If your house is clean, why would you be concerned about somebody coming inside of it?”
Other Republican candidates include state Rep. Tim Fleming and business owner Kelvin King, both expressing skepticism about the 2020 election results. King articulated concerns about nationalizing elections: “We should not ‘nationalize elections.’ Conservatives know what a disaster it would have been to turn over management to Joe Biden or Kamala Harris.”
In Michigan, Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is running for governor after facing significant threats for upholding the 2020 election results. Her potential successors include Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Ingham County Clerk Barbara Byrum, both framing Trump as a threat to democracy.
Republican candidates include Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini, who has focused on allegations of noncitizen voting—claims that Benson’s office has debunked—and Monica Yatooma, a business owner aligned with Trump. Yatooma stated her alignment with Trump on nationalizing elections: “There is zero daylight between President Trump and myself on this issue.”
In Nevada, Republican Sharron Angle is currently the only challenger to Democratic Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar. Angle has previously attempted to block Biden’s certification in Nevada and promotes election integrity on her campaign platform.
Aguilar views the election debate as part of a broader civil rights struggle and criticized efforts linking voter roll access to immigration enforcement. He expressed concern over implications for future elections: “Secretary races are happening in ’26... my strategic thinking says, wait a minute, what’s happening here?”
The alignment of Republican candidates with Trump’s election views did not yield success in swing states four years ago. In Georgia, Raffensperger defeated a Trump-backed challenger in the primary while Fontes, Benson, and Aguilar triumphed over opponents who relied heavily on disproven claims.
“So-called election denial is not just alive and well; it’s more powerful than ever,” stated Joanna Lydgate, CEO of States United Action. “But in 2026, unlike 2022, Trump has access to all the tools of the federal government at his disposal.”
“The major election threats we’ve faced in the past are even more supercharged today,” she concluded.
CORRECTION (Feb. 9, 2026): A previous version misstated Arizona state Rep. Alexander Kolodin’s involvement in efforts to challenge the 2020 election results; he was involved in lawsuits aimed at overturning results but was not part of an alternative slate backing Trump.
