Secretary of State
The Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (similar to a Secretary of State) is the main public information official in the state, overseeing historical records, public records, and registry of deeds. The elected office is partisan, meaning candidates run on their party affiliation. The term length is 4 years.
William F. Gavin (D, Incumbent)The current officeholder is William (Bill) F. Galvin (D), first elected to the position in 1994.
The longtime incumbent Galvin faced a primary against Tanisha Sullivan (D). Sullivan won the Democratic Party’s official endorsement at the state convention in June 2022. The contest was framed as a choice between an old warhorse who was not keeping up with times and a vibrant new voice that would bring a fresh perspective to the office.
Sullivan lost the primary with only 29.7% of the vote. The Democratic voters of the state were not prepared or interested in a vibrant new voice.
The Republican candidate Rayla Campbell (R) won her primary unopposed. She unsuccessfully ran as a write-in in the previous election. She faces a tough road ahead against an established candidate in the general election. She may have difficulty rising above the fallout from her controversial and unsubstantiated claim that Massachusetts teachers are teaching 5-year olds to perform oral sex on each other.
Juan Sanchez (Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts) is running as a third-party candidate.
William Galvin (D, Incumbent)
Rayla Campbell (R)
Juan Sanchez (Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts)
How should you vote on the ballot questions this November? HDN provides a round up and analysis of all four questions.