Louisiana Secretary of State
| Louisiana Secretary of State | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $110,741 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $109,399,586 |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Louisiana Constitution, Article IV, Section 7 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
Louisiana Secretary of State
Nancy Landry | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 20, 2027 |
| Last election: | November 18, 2023 |
| Other Louisiana Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission | |
The Secretary of State for Louisiana is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The secretary of state is popularly elected every four years, and re-election is not restricted by term limits. The officeholder serves as the chief election officer of the state, the official state archivist, and the keeper of the great seal of the state of Louisiana.[1]
Louisiana has a Republican triplex. The Republican Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Current officeholder
The current Louisiana Secretary of State is Nancy Landry (R). Landry assumed office in 2024.
Authority
Article 4, Section 7 of the Louisiana Constitution establishes a Department of State, headed by the office of Secretary of State:
| There shall be a Department of State. The secretary of state shall head the department...[2] |
Qualifications
Article 4, Section 2 of the Louisiana Constitution enumerates the qualifications for holding the office of Secretary of State:
| To be eligible for any statewide elective office, a person, by the date of his qualification as a candidate, shall have attained the age of twenty-five years, be an elector, and have been a citizen of the United States and of this state for at least the preceding five years. In addition, the attorney general shall have been admitted to the practice of law in the state for at least the five years preceding this election. During his tenure in office, a statewide elected official shall hold no other public office except by virtue of his elected office.[2] |
- at least 25 years old
- an elector
- a United States citizen for the last five years
- a resident of Louisiana for the last five years
Elections
As with other state executive officers, the secretary of state is elected to serve for a term of four years in length, which runs concurrently with the term of the governor. The election is held in November and the statewide official takes office the following January. In accordance with the Louisiana Constitution. There is no term limit for this office. [2]
Results
2023
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
General election
General election for Louisiana Secretary of State
Nancy Landry defeated Gwen Collins-Greenup in the general election for Louisiana Secretary of State on November 18, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Nancy Landry (R) | 66.8 | 446,494 | |
| Gwen Collins-Greenup (D) | 33.2 | 221,739 | ||
| Total votes: 668,233 | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Secretary of State
The following candidates ran in the primary for Louisiana Secretary of State on October 14, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Nancy Landry (R) | 19.3 | 197,514 | |
| ✔ | Gwen Collins-Greenup (D) | 19.2 | 196,534 | |
| Mike Francis (R) | 17.9 | 182,842 | ||
| Clay Schexnayder (R) | 14.7 | 149,987 | ||
| Arthur Morrell (D) | 11.1 | 113,703 | ||
| Thomas Kennedy III (R) | 10.1 | 102,628 | ||
| Brandon Trosclair (R) | 6.3 | 64,686 | ||
| Amanda Smith Jennings (Independent) | 1.3 | 13,275 | ||
| Total votes: 1,021,169 | ||||
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2019
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
General election
General election for Louisiana Secretary of State
Incumbent Kyle Ardoin defeated Gwen Collins-Greenup in the general election for Louisiana Secretary of State on November 16, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kyle Ardoin (R) | 59.1 | 867,607 | |
| Gwen Collins-Greenup (D) | 40.9 | 601,126 | ||
| Total votes: 1,468,733 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Secretary of State
Incumbent Kyle Ardoin and Gwen Collins-Greenup defeated Thomas Kennedy III and Amanda Smith in the primary for Louisiana Secretary of State on October 12, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kyle Ardoin (R) | 41.1 | 528,253 | |
| ✔ | Gwen Collins-Greenup (D) | 33.8 | 434,587 | |
| Thomas Kennedy III (R) | 19.0 | 244,646 | ||
| Amanda Smith (R) | 6.1 | 78,986 | ||
| Total votes: 1,286,472 | ||||
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2018
Louisiana elections use the majority-vote system. All candidates compete in the same primary, and a candidate can win the election outright by receiving more than 50 percent of the vote. If no candidate does, the top two vote recipients from the primary advance to the general election, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
General election
Special general election for Louisiana Secretary of State
Incumbent Kyle Ardoin defeated Gwen Collins-Greenup in the special general election for Louisiana Secretary of State on December 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kyle Ardoin (R) | 59.3 | 306,568 | |
| Gwen Collins-Greenup (D) | 40.7 | 210,085 | ||
| Total votes: 516,653 | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Special nonpartisan primary for Louisiana Secretary of State
The following candidates ran in the special primary for Louisiana Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kyle Ardoin (R) | 20.5 | 298,657 | |
| ✔ | Gwen Collins-Greenup (D) | 19.8 | 289,097 | |
| Renee Fontenot Free (D) | 16.4 | 239,116 | ||
| Rick Edmonds (R) | 11.3 | 164,955 | ||
| Julie Stokes (R) | 11.2 | 163,773 | ||
| Thomas Kennedy III (R) | 9.4 | 137,050 | ||
| A.G. Crowe (R) | 4.9 | 71,495 | ||
| Heather Cloud (R) | 4.9 | 71,195 | ||
| Matthew Moreau (Independent) | 1.5 | 21,579 | ||
| Total votes: 1,456,917 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2015
There was a regularly scheduled election for secretary of state in 2015. Tom Schedler (R) was eligible for re-election. The primary election took place on October 24, 2015.
There were only two candidates on the ballot in the blanket primary election. Incumbent Secretary of State Tom Schedler won a majority of votes, eliminating the need for a general election contest in November.[3]
| Secretary of State of Louisiana, Blanket Primary, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Tom Schedler |
62.2% | 649,153 | |
| Democrat | Chris Tyson | 37.8% | 394,153 | |
| Total Votes | 1,043,306 | |||
| Election Results Louisiana Secretary of State. | ||||
Vacancies
Article 4, Section 16 of the Louisiana Constitution outlines how vacancies in the office of secretary of state should be filled:
| (A) A vacancy in a statewide elective office other than that of governor or lieutenant governor shall be filled by the first assistant. If the unexpired term exceeds one year, the first assistant shall serve only until the person elected as provided in Paragraph (B) of this Section takes office.
(B) If the unexpired term exceeds one year, the office shall be filled by election at the next regularly scheduled congressional or statewide election; however, if no such election date is available within one year of the vacancy, the office shall be filled by election at a special election called by the governor for such purpose.[2] |
Duties
Article 4, Section 7 of the Louisiana Constitution establishes a Department of State, headed by the secretary of state:
| There shall be a Department of State. The secretary of state shall head the department and shall be the chief election officer of the state. He shall prepare and certify the ballots for all elections, promulgate all election returns, and administer the election laws, except those relating to voter registration and custody of voting machines. He shall administer the state corporation and trademark laws; serve as keeper of the Great Seal of the State of Louisiana and attest therewith all official laws, documents, proclamations, and commissions; administer and preserve the official archives of the state; promulgate and publish all laws enacted by the legislature and retain the originals thereof; and countersign and keep an official registry of all commissions. He may administer oaths, and shall have other powers and perform other duties authorized by this constitution or provided by law.[2] |
Divisions
- Updated January 20, 2021
- Accounting
- Archives
- Commercial
- Commissions
- Elections
- Museums
- Notary
- Publications
- Voter Outreach[4]
State budget
- See also: Louisiana state budget and finances
The Office of the Secretary of State's budget for fiscal year 2025 was $109,399,586.[5]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The salary of the secretary, along with the rest of Louisiana's elected executives, is determined by the Louisiana State Legislature. Article IV, Section 4 of the Louisiana Constitution requires that changes in compensation take effect in the term after they were passed.[2]
Louisiana Constitution, Article IV, Section 4
| Compensation Section 4. Except as otherwise provided by this constitution, the compensation of each statewide elected official shall be provided by law. An increase in the salary of a statewide elected official shall not become effective until the commencement of the subsequent term for that office following the adoption or enactment of the increase.[2] |
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $110,741, according to the Council of State Governments.[6]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2021
In 2021, the secretary of state received a salary of $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2020
In 2020, the secretary of state received a salary of $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2019
In 2019, the secretary of state received a salary of $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2018
In 2018, the secretary of state received a salary of $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2017
In 2017, the secretary of state received a salary of $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2016
In 2016, the secretary of state received a salary of $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2015
In 2015, the secretary of state received a salary of $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2014
In 2014, the secretary of state was paid an estimated $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2013
In 2013, the secretary of state was paid an estimated $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2010
In 2010, the secretary of state was paid an estimated $115,000, according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
Electoral history
2011
Incumbent Tom Schedler won election to a full four-year term as Louisiana Secretary of State on October 22, 2011. He defeated fellow Republican and Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives Jim Tucker, who was the only candidate to register to run against him. State Rep. Walker Hines and New Orleans attorney Caroline Fayard considered running, but ultimately chose not to. Schedler captured more than 50 percent of the vote in the blanket primary, winning re-election outright.
| Louisiana Secretary of State, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Tom Schedler Incumbent |
50.5% | 449,616 | |
| Republican | Jim Tucker | 49.5% | 441,170 | |
| Total Votes | 890,786 | |||
| Election results via Louisiana Secretary of State | ||||
Historical officeholders
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for chronological lists of historical officeholders; information for the Louisiana Secretary of State has not yet been added because the information was unavailable on the relevant state official websites, or we are currently in the process of formatting the list for this office. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
Contact information
Capitol Address:
Executive - Secretary of State
Post Office Box 94125
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125
Phone: (225) 922-2880
Fax: (225) 922-2003
See also
| Louisiana | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Louisiana Office of the Secretary of State, "Our Office," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Louisiana State Senate, "Constitution of Louisiana," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ The Lens, "Election 2015," accessed October 25, 2015
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, "Contact Us," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Louisiana House of Representatives, "FY 2025 State Budget Tracker," accessed January 17, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 20, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Table 4.11 Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 20, 2021
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