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Political Breakdown

As Trump Targets Elections, California Will Pick Its Next Secretary of State

There's a lot at stake his November, as California voters decide between two very different visions for who runs and protects the state's elections.
Marisa Lagos
Left: California Secretary of State Shirley Weber speaks during the General Assembly at the California Democratic Party State Convention at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on Feb. 21, 2026. (Photo by Christina House/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Right: Orange County Supervisor Chairman Donald Wagner speaks during a vigil in honor of the victims of the Cook's Corner shooting in Silverado on Sept. 6, 2023. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images) ((Photo by Christina House/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images), (Photo by Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images))

California voters will choose who oversees the state’s elections in the secretary of state race this November. That decision comes as the Trump administration has tried to get states to hand over voter roll data, attempted to restrict mail-in voting, placed federal election monitors at California polls and pushed for proof of citizenship requirements at voter registration.

Secretary of State Shirley Weber has led the office since 2021 and has pushed back against the federal government’s attempts to seize more control over state elections. Her GOP opponent in the race, Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, said the state should institute voter ID and speed up the counting process. Marisa sits down with Weber and Wagner to talk about their competing visions for elections in California.

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