STEVENS POINT – Stevens Point resident Collin McNamara announced his candidacy Sept. 8 for Wisconsin secretary of state.
Collin McNamara announced his candidacy for Wisconsin Secretary of State on Sept. 8, 2025
Secretary of state is a statewide office elected every four years in November partisan elections. The office maintains records of acts of the governor and legislature and keeps the Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin. The office also is responsible for issuing authentications and filing oaths of office and deeds for state-owned land and buildings, according to the office’s website.
Current Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, appointed by Gov. Tony Evers in March 2023, announced Aug. 20 she would leave the office following the end of its current term to pursue a run for lieutenant governor. Current Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez announced a bid for Wisconsin governor July 25 following Evers’ announcement he would not seek a third term in 2026.
McNamara is the third candidate and second Democrat to officially announce a run for the secretary of state office after Milwaukee Common Council alderperson and former state assemblyperson JoCasta Zamarripa announced her candidacy on Sept. 4. Green Party member Pete Karas announced his candidacy for the office earlier in 2025. No Republicans have yet officially announced candidacy for the race.
More about McNamara
McNamara previously ran for Wisconsin’s 24th Senate District in November 2024 during which he lost to Republican State Sen. Patrick Testin, who won his third term in the seat since 2016.
Despite the loss, McNamara claims he overperformed in Republican areas of the 24th Senate District in central Wisconsin and “won the trust of people from all walks of life,” according to a Sept. 8 news release announcing his candidacy.
“From Rhinelander to Racine, Wisconsinites deserve leaders who know the value of hard work, who will show up, and who will never quit no matter how difficult the odds may be,” McNamara said in the release. “I am used to defying expectations, and I will never stop fighting for a better future for you.”
McNamara grew up in Iola and has been an active member of the Democratic Party in both Waupaca and Portage counties since he turned 14, according to his campaign website. While pursuing his degree in political science at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point he was elected to president of student government. He helped lead student activists during a university campus budget crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and social and political unrest, according to his website.
“In every position I held, I earned a reputation for asking tough questions, challenging the status quo to achieve results, and collaborating with diverse individuals,” McNamara said of his time in student government. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2022.
More information about McNamara can be found on his campaign website mcnamaraforwisconsin.com.
When will Wisconsin residents vote for secretary of state candidates?
A primary will be held between members of the same party running for the secretary of state seat on Aug. 11, 2026. The general election will be held Nov. 3, 2026.
Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him at epfantz@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Collin McNamara announces candidacy for Wisconsin secretary of state
