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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# Image Name Term Party
1 Edward Merwin Lee 1869–1870 Republican
2 Herman Glafcke 1870–1873 Republican
3   Jason B. Brown 1873–1875 Democratic
4 George W. French 1875–1879 Republican
5 Albertis Worth Spates 1879–1880 Republican
6   Elliot S. N. Morgan 1880–1887 Republican
7   Samuel D. Shannon 1887–1889 Democratic
8   John W. Meldrum 1889–1890 Republican

Wyoming secretaries of state

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# Image Name Term Party
1   Amos W. Barber 1890–1895 Republican
2 Charles W. Burdick 1895–1899 Republican
3   Fenimore Chatterton 1899–1907 Republican
4 William Schnitger 1907–1911 Republican
5   Frank L. Houx 1911–1919 Democratic
6 William E. Chaplin 1919–1923 Republican
7 Frank Lucas 1923–1927 Republican
8 Alonzo M. Clark 1927–1935 Republican
9   Lester C. Hunt 1935–1943 Democratic
10 Mart T. Christensen 1943–1944 Republican
11 William M. Jack 1944–1947 Democratic
12 Arthur G. Crane 1947–1951 Republican
13 C.J. "Doc" Rogers 1951–1955 Republican
14 Everett T. Copenhaver 1955–1959 Republican
15   Jack R. Gage 1959–1963 Democratic
16 Thyra Thomson 1963–1987 Republican
17   Kathy Karpan 1987–1995 Democratic
18 Diana J. Ohman 1995–1999 Republican
19 Joseph Meyer 1999–2007 Republican
20 Max Maxfield 2007–2015 Republican
21   Ed Murray 2015–2018 Republican
Acting Karen Wheeler 2018 Republican
22   Edward Buchanan 2018–2022 Republican
23 Karl Allred 2022–2023 Republican
24 Chuck Gray 2023–present Republican

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.