Secretary of the State of Connecticut

Secretary of the State of Connecticut
Seal of the Secretary of the State
since January 4, 2023
TypeSecretary
Term length4 years
Formation1639
First holderEdward Hopkins
WebsiteOfficial homepage of the Connecticut Secretary of the State

The secretary of the state of Connecticut is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Connecticut. (The definite article is part of the legal job title.) It is an elected position in the state government and has a term length of four years.

The current secretary of the state is Stephanie Thomas, a Democrat who has held the office since January 2023 after defeating Republican opponent Dominic Rapini in the 2022 general election.

The Secretary of the State's Office is composed of two divisions:

List of secretaries of state of Connecticut

Before statehood

Name Town Term of service Years of service
Edward Hopkins Hartford 1639–1641 2 yrs.
Thomas Welles Hartford 1641–1648 7 yrs.
John Cullick Hartford, O 1648–1658 10 yrs.
Daniel Clark Windsor, O 1658–1664, 1665–1667 8 yrs.
John Allyn Hartford, O 1664–1665, 1667–1696 30 yrs.
Eleazer Kimberly Glastonbury, O 1696–1709 13 yrs.
William Whiting Hartford, O 1709 3 mo.
Caleb Stanly Hartford, O 1709–1712 3 yrs.
Richard Lord Hartford, O 1712 17 d.
Hezekiah Wyllys Hartford, O 1712–1735 23 yrs.
George Wyllys Hartford, O 1735–1796 61 yrs.

Since statehood

Connecticut ratified the United States Constitution and gained statehood in 1788.

Image Name Town Political party Term of service
George Wyllys Hartford 1788–1796
Samuel Wyllys Hartford 1796–1810
Thomas Day Hartford 1810–1835
Royal Ralph Hinman Southbury 1835–1842
Noah A. Phelps Hartford 1842–1844
Daniel P. Tyler Pomfret 1844–1846
Charles W. Bradley Hartford 1846–1847
John B. Robertson New Haven 1847–1849
Roger H. Mills N. Hartford Whig 1849–1850
Hiram Weed Danbury Democratic 1850
John P. C. Mather New London Democratic 1850–1854
Oliver H. Perry Fairfield Whig 1854–1855
Nehemiah D. Sperry New Haven American 1855–1857
Orville H. Platt Meriden American, Republican 1857–1858
John Boyd Winchester Republican 1858–1861
James Hammond Trumbull Hartford Republican 1861–1866
Leverett E. Pease Somers Union 1866–1869
Hiram Appleman Groton Republican 1869–1870
Thomas M. Waller New London Democratic 1870–1871
Hiram Appleman Groton Republican 1871–1873
D. W. Edgecomb Fairfield Republican 1873
Marvin H. Sanger Canterbury Democratic 1873–1877
Dwight Morris Bridgeport Democratic 1877-–1879
David Torrance Derby Republican 1879–1881
Charles E. Searls Thompson Republican 1881–1883
D. Ward Northrop Middletown Democratic 1883–1885
Charles A. Russell Killingly Republican 1885–1887
Leverett M. Hubbard Wallingford Republican 1887–1889
R. Jay Walsh Greenwich Republican 1889–1893
John J. Phelan Bridgeport Democratic 1893–1895
William C. Mowry Norwich Republican 1895–1897
Charles Phelps Rockville Republican 1897–1899
Huber Clark Willimantic Republican 1899–1901
Charles G. R. Vinal Middletown Republican 1901–1905
Theodore Bodenwein New London Republican 1905–1909
Matthew H. Rogers Bridgeport Republican 1909–1913
Albert Phillips Stamford Democratic 1913–1915
Charles D. Burnes Greenwich Republican 1915–1917
Frederick L. Perry New Haven Republican 1917–1921
Donald J. Warner Salisbury Republican 1921–1923
Francis A. Pallotti Hartford Republican 1923–1929
William L. Higgins Coventry Republican 1929–1933
John A. Danaher Hartford Republican 1933–1935
C. John Satti New London Democratic 1935–1939
Sara B. Crawford Westport Republican 1939–1941
Chase G. Woodhouse New London Democratic 1941–1943
Frances B. Redick Newington Republican 1943–1945
Charles J. Prestia New Britain Democratic 1945–1947
Frances B. Redick Newington Republican 1947–1949
Winifred McDonald Waterbury Democratic 1949–1951
Alice K. Leopold Weston Republican 1951–1953
Charles B. Keats Bridgeport Republican 1953–1955
Mildred P. Allen Hartford Republican 1955–1959
Ella Grasso Windsor Locks Democratic 1959–1971
Gloria Schaffer Woodbridge Democratic 1971–1978
Henry S. Cohn West Hartford Democratic 1978–1979
Barbara B. Kennelly Hartford Democratic 1979–1982
Maura L. Melley Wethersfield Democratic 1982–1983
Julia Tashjian Windsor Democratic 1983–1991
Pauline R. Kezer Plainville Republican 1991–1995
Miles S. Rapoport West Hartford Democratic 1995–1999
Susan Bysiewicz Middletown Democratic 1999–2011
Denise Merrill Mansfield Democratic 2011–2022
Mark Kohler North Haven Democratic 2022–2023
Stephanie Thomas Norwalk Democratic 2023–present

See also

References