Shirley Weber seeks re-election as California secretary of state

Shirley Weber, the Democratic incumbent, is running for re-election as California secretary of state in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Republican Donald P. Wagner. Newport Beach voters will see this statewide race on their ballots.

Weber has held the office since Jan. 29, 2021. She is California's first Black secretary of state and only the fifth African American to serve as a state constitutional officer in the state's 175-year history, according to the California Secretary of State's office.

Candidate information

Party: Democratic
Education: Bachelor's degree in communication, University of California, Los Angeles (1970); master's degree in communication, UCLA (1972); doctorate in communication, UCLA (1975)
Background: Weber was born in Hope, Arkansas, according to her campaign website. Her family moved to California when she was three, she said.

Experience and public service

Secretary of state, California (Jan. 29, 2021–present)
Assemblymember, California State Assembly District 79 (2012–2021)
Chair, Assembly Budget Committee
Chair, California Legislative Black Caucus (2018–2020)
Trustee, San Diego Unified School District Board of Education (1988–1996)
Professor, San Diego State University (1972–2012)

Weber was the first African American to chair the Assembly Budget Committee, according to the secretary of state's office. She said she helped found the Africana Studies Department at San Diego State University, according to her campaign website.

On the issues

The positions below are the candidate's own responses, provided through BallotReady.

Ballot access: Weber said she is working with local elections officials to expand access to the ballot and running outreach to register high school and college students.

Election transparency: Weber said she aims to improve transparency in elections, lobbyist registration and campaign finance systems so Californians can make informed decisions.

Cybersecurity: Weber said she is upgrading the secretary of state's cybersecurity policies to protect elections from attempts to undermine democratic processes.

Voting rights for the formerly incarcerated: Weber said she is revamping voter education outreach for the formerly incarcerated after the passage of Proposition 17, which ensured Californians on parole have the right to vote.

Office operations: Weber said she is fixing delayed financial filings, enforcing rules equally and building early bipartisan support for being fair and principled.