Secretary of State of Wyoming

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The secretary of state of Wyoming is the state secretary of state of the U.S. state of Wyoming. It is a constitutional office, established under the Constitution of Wyoming and the secretary of state accedes to the governorship in case of a vacancy.[1] The secretary of state is the keeper of the Great Seal of Wyoming and the state's official record-keeper. When the governor is traveling out-of-state, the secretary of state serves as acting governor (Wyoming has no lieutenant governor). Karen Wheeler served as acting secretary of state following the vacancy of Ed Murray,[2] until the appointment of Edward Buchanan in March, 2018, who himself resigned September 17, 2022.

Secretary of State of Wyoming
Incumbent
Chuck Gray
since January 2, 2023
TypeSecretary of State
Constituting instrumentConstitution of Wyoming
Formation1890
First holderAmos W. Barber
WebsiteOfficial website

The secretary of state's office is divided into five divisions:[3]

  • The Administrative Services Division keeps track of the money for the other parts of the office. This division is also responsible for the registration of notaries public, apostilles and document authentication, and is the official registrar for all state regulations.
  • The Business Division files information about businesses, including charters of corporations and other business entities, and liens made pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code. This division also registers trademarks and trade names, and is responsible for licensing Wyoming's official trademark, the Bucking Horse and Rider.
  • The Compliance Division oversees the securities industry in the state, investigates violations of securities laws, and provides financial education to the public.
  • The Elections Division administers elections. This task includes recording voting results for statewide elections and ensuring compliance with campaign finance laws and state and federal election laws. This division is also responsible for the registration of lobbyists.
  • The Technology Division maintains the secretary of state's employees' computer equipment and programs, and maintains the secretary's website.

Officeholders

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Amos W. Barber became the first Wyoming secretary of state on November 8, 1890. Prior officeholders were known as Wyoming secretaries of the territory.[4]

Wyoming secretaries of the territory

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#ImageNameTermParty
1Edward Merwin Lee1869–1870Republican
2Herman Glafcke1870–1873Republican
3 Jason B. Brown1873–1875Democratic
4George W. French1875–1879Republican
5Albertis Worth Spates1879–1880Republican
6 Elliot S.N. Morgan1880–1887Republican
7 Samuel D. Shannon1887–1889Democratic
8 John W. Meldrum1889–1890Republican

Wyoming secretaries of state

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#ImageNameTermParty
1 Amos W. Barber1890–1895Republican
2Charles W. Burdick1895–1899Republican
3 Fenimore Chatterton1899–1907Republican
4William Schnitger1907–1911Republican
5 Frank L. Houx1911–1919Democratic
6William E. Chaplin1919–1923Republican
7Frank Lucas1923–1927Republican
8Alonzo M. Clark1927–1935Republican
9 Lester C. Hunt1935–1943Democratic
10Mart T. Christensen1943–1944Republican
11William M. Jack1944–1947Democratic
12Arthur G. Crane1947–1951Republican
13C.J. "Doc" Rogers1951–1955Republican
14Everett T. Copenhaver1955–1959Republican
15 Jack R. Gage1959–1963Democratic
16Thyra Thomson1963–1987Republican
17 Kathy Karpan1987–1995Democratic
18Diana J. Ohman1995–1999Republican
19Joseph Meyer1999–2007Republican
20Max Maxfield2007–2015Republican
21 Ed Murray2015–2018Republican
ActingKaren Wheeler2018Republican
22 Edward Buchanan2018–2022Republican
23Karl Allred2022–2023Republican
24Chuck Gray2023–presentRepublican

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Constitution of the State of Wyoming" (PDF). Secretary of State of Wyoming. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  2. ^ Funk, Joel. "Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Murray resigns amid sexual misconduct allegations". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  3. ^ Duties of Wyoming Officials Archived 2008-09-08 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Wyoming Secretaries of State roster" (PDF). Wyoming Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 22, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2011.