# Donald P. (Don) Wagner *candidate · Secretary of State · Republican* — November 3, 2026 General Election (2026-11-03), Los Angeles County, California Research pack generated 2026-10-30T23:52:30+00:00 by ballotscope. Summaries are LLM-generated from the linked originals and may contain errors; check the originals before relying on anything. Sources span 2025-07-30 to 2026-10-03. ## Overview (as of 2026-10-28, from 18 sources) Donald P. (Don) Wagner, a Republican, is an Orange County Supervisor (Third District since 2019, chairman 2023 to January 2025) and a former Irvine mayor and Assemblymember (2010 to 2016) [Wagner SOS campaign prospectus (v5); Secretary of State Candidate Don Wagner Seeks Secure Elections]. He is challenging incumbent Shirley Weber for Secretary of State [California secretary of state race (April 2026); Secretary of State — CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide]. He announced on July 30, 2025 with former Secretaries of State Bill Jones and Bruce McPherson as co-chairs; former Gov. Pete Wilson later endorsed him and became honorary chairman [Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner announces secretary of state candidacy; OC Supervisor Don Wagner wants California secretary of state as next job; Wagner SOS campaign prospectus (v5)]. His platform centers on voter ID at the polls, a faster count, and cleaner voter rolls [Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide); Candidate statements, June 2, 2026 Primary Official Voter Information Guide; California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)]. Over time his mail-voting proposals have varied in emphasis: requiring mail ballots to arrive by Election Day and banning paid ballot harvesting (primary statement, April 2026) [Candidate statements, June 2, 2026 Primary Official Voter Information Guide]; returning to absentee ballots on request and party-independent ballot collection (September 2026) [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)]. He says California's elections are 'overwhelmingly' fair and fraud examples are 'relatively minor,' says Joe Biden won 2020, and opposes the federal SAVE Act and ICE oversight of elections [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)]. On the rolls, he cites a Judicial Watch figure of about 873,000 inactive registrations and is a plaintiff in a related suit against the state [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown); Wagner SOS campaign prospectus (v5)]. Critics, chiefly the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, say his platform sows distrust and restricts ballot access [California 2026]. CalMatters reports that as supervisor he pushed to release sensitive voter information to the Trump DOJ [Secretary of State — CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide]. His most recent statements here are the September 25, 2026 KQED interview [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] and his November voter-guide statement [Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide)]. ### Record highlights - Served in the state Assembly from 2010 to 2016 and as Irvine mayor from 2016; on the Orange County Board of Supervisors since 2019, including two years as chairman, elected by a Democratic-majority board. [Wagner SOS campaign prospectus (v5); Secretary of State Candidate Don Wagner Seeks Secure Elections; California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] - As supervisor, according to CalMatters, criticized the state's COVID-19 response, questioned county spending on DEI programs, and pushed to release sensitive voter information to the Trump DOJ over claims of voting irregularities. [Secretary of State — CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide; California's Election Referee Is on the Ballot – And Almost No One Is Watching] - Proposed that Orange County cooperate with DOJ on cleaning its voter rolls, and with Registrar Bob Page tried to cross-check rolls against jury-commissioner data; both, by his account, were voted down by his board. [Wagner SOS campaign prospectus (v5); Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner announces secretary of state candidacy] - Plaintiff, with the American Independent Party, in a federal suit against Secretary Weber alleging 873,092 inactive registrations remain on the rolls (campaign release dated June 2, 2026). [Wagner SOS campaign prospectus (v5); California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] - Launched his Secretary of State campaign on July 30, 2025. [Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner announces secretary of state candidacy; OC Supervisor Don Wagner wants California secretary of state as next job] - Formed a separate 'Don Wagner Ballot Measure Committee to Protect Elections' (protectmyvoteca.org), which accepts unlimited contributions; his voter-guide statement names that site as home of his reform platform. [Wagner SOS campaign prospectus (v5); Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide)] ### Stated positions - Fully supports the voter ID initiative and pledges to implement it, including going to court if needed (July 2025 onward). [Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner Launches Campaign for California Secretary of State; OC Supervisor Don Wagner wants California secretary of state as next job; Wagner for California (campaign site)] - Wants a faster count: letting counties process mail ballots before Election Day, more county funding, and faster published results (September 2026); earlier, an earlier certification deadline (April 2026). [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown); California secretary of state race (April 2026); Newsom Steps in For Shirley Weber – Asks County Election Officials to Speed Up Ballot Counting] - Would stop mailing every voter a ballot and return to mail ballots on request, at least until rolls are cleaner. The primary statement also called for mail ballots to arrive by Election Day and a ban on paid ballot harvesting. [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown); Candidate statements, June 2, 2026 Primary Official Voter Information Guide; Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner announces secretary of state candidacy; OC Supervisor Don Wagner wants California secretary of state as next job] - Would accept federal help to clean voter rolls under enforceable privacy protections, but says he would not hand over private identifying information (September 2026). [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] - Opposes the SAVE Act and federal or ICE oversight of elections. [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown); California's Election Referee Is on the Ballot – And Almost No One Is Watching] - Says fraud is minor and Biden won 2020; frames the problem as low public confidence, which he says should be 85 to 90%. [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown); Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner announces secretary of state candidacy] - Wants the office's business-filing division modernized and small-business friendly. [Wagner for California (campaign site); Candidate statements, June 2, 2026 Primary Official Voter Information Guide; OC Supervisor Don Wagner wants California secretary of state as next job] ### Where sources disagree - The Orange County dog registration: Wagner's statements variously say the dog 'had its vote counted' and was 'registered and voted twice'; in the KQED interview he said the owner registered two votes and one counted. The KQED host said the dog was registered by a Republican to make a point, and Wagner agreed. [Candidate statements, June 2, 2026 Primary Official Voter Information Guide; Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide); California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] - Count length: Wagner says California takes '30 excruciating days' (primary statement) or 'more than a month' (general statement); CalMatters reports counties have 30 days by law to count and audit. [Candidate statements, June 2, 2026 Primary Official Voter Information Guide; Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide); California secretary of state race (April 2026)] ### Gaps - No head-to-head debate. The KQED program interviewed the candidates separately, and IVN reported no debates or forums before the primary. - No official voting record from his Assembly or Board of Supervisors service; supervisor actions are known only from CalMatters' summary and his own account. - The protectmyvoteca.org platform itself was not collected. - No campaign-finance figures beyond his campaign's own claims, and no independent polling. - No independent verification of the 873,000 inactive-registration figure, and no court filings or rulings in his suit. - Full IVN questionnaire answers and any op-ed text are not available; the LAist AirTalk audio is not transcribed. ### Arguments for / praise - His reforms would restore voter trust and bring faster, more secure elections; he would bring broad government experience and act as a non-partisan umpire. — *Don Wagner, Wagner campaign* [Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide); Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner Launches Campaign for California Secretary of State; California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] - The public has lost trust in election quality, and he would make sure only eligible votes are counted, quickly. — *Pete Wilson* [Wagner SOS campaign prospectus (v5)] - Speed matters to public confidence; long counts give fraud claims room to grow. — *Kim Alexander, California Voter Foundation* [Election integrity in California (April 2026)] - The KQED host called his proposals for pre-processing, more county funding and faster reporting 'pretty reasonable and nonpartisan.' — *Marisa Lagos, KQED* [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] - He is backed by the California Republican Party, Reform California, the California Republican Assembly, and many current and former GOP officials. — *CalMatters, Wagner campaign* [Secretary of State — CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide; Endorsements — Wagner for California] ### Arguments against / criticism - His platform is 'rooted in sowing distrust in elections and restricting access to the ballot'; voter ID laws disproportionately affect voters of color, students and the elderly; and his mail-voting proposals would undo popular reforms. — *Democratic Association of Secretaries of State* [California 2026] - Voter ID is unnecessary because ID is required at registration and there is no widespread fraud; such rules can deter voting. — *Shirley Weber* [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] - His push to release sensitive voter information to the DOJ has been criticized, and a federal judge found DOJ's statewide demand unlawful. — *CalMatters (reporting), Democratic Association of Secretaries of State* [Secretary of State — CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide; California 2026] - Signature verification and curing take time to protect voters, so faster deadlines risk disenfranchisement. — *Assemblymember Gail Pellerin* [Election integrity in California (April 2026)] ## Analysis of their own words (as of 2026-10-28) Coverage: Eight samples of Wagner's own words, mid-2025 to September 2026: one unscripted broadcast interview (KQED Political Breakdown, Sept. 25, 2026 [S1], conducted separately from Weber's); his campaign prospectus (posted July 2026) [S2], which reprints dated releases from Sept. 2025 to June 2026, news clips and an Ag Meter interview recap; his June primary [S3] and November general [S8] voter-guide statements; and four undated campaign web pages: the launch release [S5], home page [S6], a release on Newsom's letter about counting speed [S4], and a release on a voter-guide error [S7]. In S3, only the Secretary of State section of a multi-office guide is relevant. S2's interview and news-clip passages are campaign-curated, and their quotes are reported, not transcripts. Missing: any head-to-head debate, full questionnaire answers (IVN reports only summaries), any op-ed text, the protectmyvoteca.org platform itself, and his Board of Supervisors and Assembly voting records. On election administration Wagner takes the integrity-and-verification side: voter ID at the polls, mail ballots by request rather than sent to every voter, tighter ballot-collection rules, cleaner voter rolls with federal cooperation, and a faster count [S1, S3, S5, S8]. He pairs this with statements that California's elections are 'overwhelmingly' fair, that fraud examples are 'relatively minor,' and that Joe Biden won 2020 [S1], and he opposes the federal SAVE Act and federal or ICE oversight of elections on states'-authority grounds [S1]. In campaign materials he describes himself as governing 'conservatively' [S2] and places business-friendliness and fiscal criticism of Sacramento alongside election policy [S2, S3]. On these issues the label conservative is supported by his own description. On federal power over elections his stated position is a states'-rights stance that breaks with the Trump-aligned SAVE Act. Articulation: **strong**. In his one unscripted sample [S1] he is clear, organized and responsive. He answers 'Who won the 2020 presidential election?' directly ('Joe Biden won the 2020 election'), names Judicial Watch as the source of his 873,000 figure when asked, explains the constitutional basis for opposing the SAVE Act, and lays out specific, numbered proposals. His prepared texts [S3, S8] are specific (three numbered reforms in S3) and well structured. Command of facts is weaker in places. 'Last state in the nation' and 'more than a month' are asserted without support. The 'ghost voters' label is qualified under questioning ('I'm not telling you all of those ballots are being voted'). His description of the Orange County dog registration differs across samples (see notable_rhetoric). Campaign releases [S4, S7] are short and lean on assertion. Consistency: **adequate**. His core commitments are stable from the July 2025 launch [S5] through September 2026 [S1, S8]: voter ID, only eligible voters, faster counting and restoring confidence. His specific mail-voting proposals change emphasis. The primary statement [S3] lists 'Require mail ballots to be returned by Election Day' and a ban on paid ballot harvesting. In S1 he calls for a return to 'the old absentee rules' and party-independent ballot collection. The general statement [S8] mentions neither and focuses on counting speed, photo ID and voter rolls. These are differences of emphasis rather than reversals. A tension readers may weigh is between his non-partisan 'umpire' framing [S8, S4] and campaign material that calls for someone who will 'govern conservatively' and to 'get rid of Gavin Newsom’s appointed Secretary of State' [S2]. Similarly, a recap of his remarks reprinted in S2 says that rather than fight DOJ, Orange County should have said 'let's fix this together,' while in S1 he adds that this 'doesn't mean turn over private identifying information.' - Voter ID: Fully supports the voter ID initiative and pledges to implement it if passed. - "I fully endorse the California Voter ID initiative and pledge to uphold and implement it should voters adopt it in November of next year" [Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner Launches Campaign for California Secretary of State] (undated) - "fully supports" [Wagner for California (campaign site)] (undated) - "1) Require Voter ID at the polls" [Candidate statements, June 2, 2026 Primary Official Voter Information Guide] (2026-04-23) - Speed of the ballot count: Says California is the slowest state and that counting can be both fast and accurate; backs pre-Election Day processing, more county funding and faster reporting. - "We are, for example, the last state in the nation to report our election results." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - "We need accurate, speedy ballot counting," [Newsom Steps in For Shirley Weber – Asks County Election Officials to Speed Up Ballot Counting] (undated) - "As Secretary of State, I pledge to speed up vote counting, secure our elections, and remove the chief elections officer from partisan politics." [Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide)] (undated) - Universal vote-by-mail and ballot collection: Would return to mail ballots on request until the rolls are cleaner, wants mail ballots returned by Election Day, and wants ballot collectors to answer to voters rather than parties. - "What I would like to see is us go back to the old absentee rules." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - "I think that the person who is collecting that ballot and turning it in ought be beholden to the voter, not to a political party" [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - "mail ballots to be returned by Election Day" [Candidate statements, June 2, 2026 Primary Official Voter Information Guide] (2026-04-23) - Voter rolls and federal data requests: Says the rolls contain about 873,000 inactive 'ghost voters' (a Judicial Watch figure; he is a plaintiff in the related suit) and would accept federal help to clean them under privacy protections, without handing over private identifying information. - "It's people who should not be getting ballots." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - "I'm not telling you all of those ballots are being voted." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - "Don't turn over all of the information, but do accept the federal government's help in doing what we need to do under existing, not new, under existing state and federal law, and that's clean our voter rolls." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - Federal role in elections (SAVE Act, ICE): Opposes the SAVE Act and federal executive oversight of elections, citing the Constitution's assignment of elections to states subject to Congress. - "I am not in support of the SAVE Act." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - "And so we don't need ICE overseeing our elections." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - Extent of fraud and the 2020 election: Says elections are overwhelmingly fair and fraud is minor; the problem he identifies is public confidence. Says Biden won 2020. - "Joe Biden won the 2020 election." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - "The examples of fraud are relatively minor, but at the end of the day, if we don't have that robust agreement that the elections are fair, people stay home." [California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown)] (2026-09-25) - Business filings: Wants the office's business division modernized and small-business friendly. - "The Secretary of State's business division is "small-business friendly"" [Wagner for California (campaign site)] (undated) - "I will also be an active partner with the entrepreneurs and job-creators on which our economy depends" [Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner Launches Campaign for California Secretary of State] (undated) Limitations: Only one sample is unscripted, and it is a single interview, not a debate. Four samples are short campaign releases and one is a fundraising prospectus whose interview passages are campaign-curated recaps. There is no op-ed text, no full questionnaire and no official record from his Board of Supervisors or Assembly service in this set, so how his statements line up with his votes cannot be assessed. Several samples are undated. This analysis covers how he expresses his views, not whether his factual claims (such as the 873,000 figure) are accurate. ## Timeline (newest first) - **2026-10-03** — Published: 2026 general election: California Secretary of State voter guide (LAist) - **2026-09-29** — Published: Secretary of State — CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide (CalMatters) - **2026-09-25** — Published: California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown) (PBS / KQED) - **2026-09-25** — Weber and Wagner interviewed separately on KQED's Political Breakdown (PBS / KQED) - **2026-07-21** — Published: Wagner SOS campaign prospectus (v5) (Wagner for California) - **2026-06-02** — Statewide primary election (scheduled) (IVN) - **2026-06-02** — Campaign release on the lawsuit alleging 873,092 inactive registrations (Wagner for California) - **2026-05-11** — Published: California's Election Referee Is on the Ballot – And Almost No One Is Watching (IVN) - **2026-05-05** — Wagner rebuttal on Newsom's letter asking counties to count faster (Wagner for California) - **2026-04-29** — Published: California secretary of state race (April 2026) (CalMatters) - **2026-04-24** — Published: Election integrity in California (April 2026) (CalMatters) - **2026-04-23** — Published: Candidate statements, June 2, 2026 Primary Official Voter Information Guide (California Secretary of State) - **2025-09-17** — Wagner statement on the cost of the Prop 50 special election (Wagner for California) - **2025-09-16** — Pete Wilson endorsed Wagner and became honorary chairman (Wagner for California) - **2025-07-31** — Sacramento Bee reported Wagner's entry into the race (Wagner for California) - **2025-07-30** — Published: Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner announces secretary of state candidacy (Spectrum News) - **2025-07-30** — Wagner announced his candidacy for Secretary of State (Spectrum News) - **2025-07-30** — Published: OC Supervisor Don Wagner wants California secretary of state as next job (Orange County Register) - **2025-07-30** — Wagner announced his campaign for Secretary of State (Orange County Register) - **2021** — California adopted universal vote-by-mail (Orange County Register) - **2019** — Wagner joined the Orange County Board of Supervisors (Bay Area GOP) - **2010** — Wagner entered the state Assembly (served to 2016) (Bay Area GOP) ## Sources ### 2026 general election: California Secretary of State voter guide - LAist · voter guide · published 2026-10-03 · stance: neutral - LAist's voter guide page for the Secretary of State race (CalMatters content, published October 3, 2026 and updated October 19, 2026). It repeats CalMatters' profiles of both candidates and lists their key endorsements. It embeds audio of LAist AirTalk interviews in which each candidate makes their case (Wagner, 18:52; Weber, 18:30), but the interviews are not transcribed on the page. This summary is written for Wagner. - Profiles match the CalMatters guide: Wagner runs on election integrity and voter ID; Weber's tenure covered universal mail voting, the Newsom recall and litigation with local governments. - Wagner's key endorsements: California Republican Party, Reform California, California Republican Assembly. - Weber's key endorsements: California Democratic Party, California Federation of Teachers, SEIU California. - AirTalk audio interviews with both candidates are linked but not transcribed. - Reference: Wagner campaign endorsements page - Reference: Wagner campaign site - Reference: California Republican Party endorsements - Reference: LAist: race shows partisan divide over how to count ballots ### Secretary of State — CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide - CalMatters · voter guide · published 2026-09-29 · stance: neutral - CalMatters' 2026 voter guide page for the Secretary of State race. It describes the office and gives short profiles of both candidates. Its profile of Wagner says he is an Orange County supervisor, former Irvine mayor and former assemblymember running on election integrity; that as supervisor he criticized the state's COVID-19 response, questioned the county's investment in diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and pushed to release sensitive voter information to President Trump's Department of Justice over claims of voting irregularities; and that he supports voter ID at the polls and criticizes Weber over slow ballot counting. - CalMatters says Wagner is 'running on a platform of election integrity.' - As supervisor, per CalMatters, he criticized the state's COVID-19 response, questioned DEI spending, and pushed to release sensitive voter information to the Trump DOJ. - He supports requiring voter ID at the polls and criticizes Weber over slow ballot counting. - Listed endorsements for Wagner: California Republican Party, Reform California, California Republican Assembly. - Reference: California Republican Party endorsements - Reference: Reform California endorsements - Reference: California Republican Assembly endorsements - Reference: CalMatters: race shows partisan divide over counting ballots ### California Secretary of State Race: Shirley Weber vs. Don Wagner (Political Breakdown) - PBS / KQED · interview · published 2026-09-25 · stance: neutral - Transcript of KQED's Political Breakdown (aired on PBS, September 25, 2026), in which host Marisa Lagos interviews Secretary of State Shirley Weber and then Republican challenger Don Wagner in separate, back-to-back segments. They are not debating each other. Wagner says California is the last state to report results, cites a Judicial Watch figure of about 873,000 'ghost voters' (he is a plaintiff in the related lawsuit), says Joe Biden won the 2020 election, and outlines reforms: letting counties process mail ballots before Election Day, more county funding, faster results, mail ballots only on request until rolls are cleaned, and tighter ballot-collection rules. He says he would accept federal help cleaning voter rolls under privacy-protecting agreements but would not turn over private identifying information, and that he opposes the federal SAVE Act. - Wagner's pitch: 'our election process can be run much better'; 'We are... the last state in the nation to report our election results.' - He says the 873,000 figure comes from Judicial Watch and that he and the American Independent Party are plaintiffs in a suit against the state; he says these are people who 'should not be getting ballots,' not people necessarily voting. - Asked who won 2020: 'Joe Biden won the 2020 election.' - He credits Weber with trying 'to get everybody who is eligible to vote to vote' and says he would continue that. - He would return to 'the old absentee rules' and change ballot-harvesting rules so the collector is 'beholden to the voter, not to a political party.' - On DOJ voter data: accept federal help to clean the rolls, but 'Don't turn over all of the information'; he says enforceable privacy agreements are possible. - He says 'I am not in support of the SAVE Act' and 'we don't need ICE overseeing our elections,' adding that 'The examples of fraud are relatively minor.' ### Wagner SOS campaign prospectus (v5) - Wagner for California · position statement · published 2026-07-21 · stance: support - Wagner's campaign prospectus (version 5, a fundraising PDF posted in July 2026). It combines his biography, reprinted press releases and news clips, an internal polling memo, a slide arguing incumbent Weber is the Democrats' 'weakest statewide candidate,' endorsement lists and fundraising event forms. Among its contents: a release on a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of Wagner and the American Independent Party alleging 873,092 inactive registrations on the rolls; his May 2026 rebuttal on ballot-counting speed; a September 2025 statement attacking the cost of the Proposition 50 special election; a Sacramento Bee clip in which he says he does not believe fraud exists in California elections; an Ag Meter interview on farming, water and Prop 50; and forms for a separate 'Don Wagner Ballot Measure Committee to Protect Elections' (www.protectmyvoteca.org) that takes unlimited contributions. - Bio: business lawyer since 1987, first president of the OC chapter of the Federalist Society, community college trustee, Assembly 2010 to 2016, Irvine mayor from 2016, OC supervisor from 2019 (chairman 2023 to January 2025). - Lawsuit release: 873,092 inactive registrations said to remain on the rolls 'through at least three federal elections.' - Polling memo (campaign consultant Dave Gilliard): says Weber trails among independents and the race is 45-42 'when voters are informed' of the candidates' voter ID positions. - Sac Bee clip: Wagner 'personally said he doesn't believe fraud exists in California elections' but backs voter ID for confidence. - Ag Meter interview: 'California is in disaster mode'; 'get rid of Gavin Newsom's appointed Secretary of State'; 'If voters pass something like voter ID in 2026, I'll enforce it.' - Slide on Weber: calls her a 'firebrand progressive' and cites her opposition to voter ID, police-related legislation and ACA 5. - protectmyvoteca.org belongs to the 'Don Wagner Ballot Measure Committee to Protect Elections,' which accepts unlimited personal and corporate contributions. ### California's Election Referee Is on the Ballot – And Almost No One Is Watching - IVN · news · published 2026-05-11 · stance: neutral - An Independent Voter News (IVN) article by Shawn Griffiths, published May 11, 2026 before the June primary, that profiles all four Secretary of State candidates and frames the race as trust versus access. It reports that Wagner answered IVN's questionnaire: he supports the California voter ID initiative but not the federal SAVE Act, answered 'Yes' on every voter's right to take part in every publicly funded election including primaries, and was 'Not Sure' about a Top Four system. It quotes his primary voter-guide statement and lists his pledges to require voter ID, require mail ballots to arrive by Election Day, and ban 'ballot harvesting' by paid canvassers. - Wagner supports the California voter ID initiative but 'does not support the SAVE Act.' - He answered 'Yes' on every voter's right to participate in every publicly funded election, including primaries, and was 'Not Sure' about Top Four. - Quoted from his statement: 'California's election system is broken... California takes 30 excruciating days.' - Pledges: require voter ID; require mail ballots to be returned by Election Day rather than postmarked; prohibit ballot harvesting by paid canvassers. - IVN notes that ballot harvesting by partisan operatives is legal in California and that both major parties do it. - Reference: Primary candidate statements (SoS PDF) - Reference: IVN: voter ID initiative vs. SAVE Act - Reference: IVN: voter ID initiative made the ballot ### California secretary of state race (April 2026) - CalMatters · news · published 2026-04-29 · stance: neutral - CalMatters article by Yue Stella Yu on the 2026 Secretary of State race, framed around the partisan divide over ballot counting. It describes Wagner as the only serious challenger to Weber and reports his criticism that she did little to lobby lawmakers to speed up the count. He says he would roll back universal mail ballots and move up the certification deadline (both would need the Legislature), would require ID to vote (which would need a new law), and would use the office as a 'bully pulpit.' He told CalMatters that an upset would shock even himself, and that he is not one of the Republicans who claim an election was stolen whenever a Republican loses. - Wagner: 'Rather than wait 30 days, let's make these changes that are right now causing people of all parties and no party to question: Geez, is that really a fair election?' - He would roll back sending mail ballots to every voter and support moving up the certification deadline, both requiring legislative approval. - He would require voters to show ID, which would require a new law; a GOP-backed voter ID initiative had just qualified for the November ballot. - Wagner: 'I am not one of those Republicans who is going to be out there telling you that unless a Republican wins, the election got stolen.' - CalMatters notes that no Republican has won a statewide race since 2006. - Reference: CalMatters on voter ID initiative qualifying - Reference: CalMatters on election integrity in California - Reference: CalMatters on 2024 slow vote count ### Election integrity in California (April 2026) - CalMatters · news · published 2026-04-24 · stance: neutral - CalMatters article by Maya C. Miller on California's slow ballot count and the distrust it may feed, built around an election-integrity panel co-presented by CalMatters and the UC Student and Policy Center. It does not mention Weber or Wagner, but it covers the main issue in their race. Panelists disagree: Kim Alexander of the California Voter Foundation calls speed versus accuracy a 'false choice,' while Assemblymember Gail Pellerin and UCLA's Matt Barreto defend careful verification. The article also reports a UC Berkeley IGS poll showing a deep partisan divide on democracy and on a voter ID initiative. - Kim Alexander: 'Election security is about security in reality and also security in perception.' - Alexander says the AP took eight days in 2024, nine in 2022 and seven in 2020 to call control of the U.S. House, with California races decisive each time. - Pellerin: the law requires counting 'accurately, securely,' not meeting media deadlines; signature checks keep people from being disenfranchised. - Catharine Baker says counties need more money for staffing and equipment; all panelists urged voters to return mail ballots early. - IGS poll: 56% supported a photo-ID initiative without context; support fell to 39% when told of the partisan arguments. - Reference: CalMatters on the California voter ID initiative - Reference: CalMatters on Shasta County election administration - Reference: CalMatters investigation on Sheriff Bianco ballot seizure ### Candidate statements, June 2, 2026 Primary Official Voter Information Guide - California Secretary of State · position statement · published 2026-04-23 · stance: not_applicable - The candidate-statements section of the Secretary of State's Official Voter Information Guide for the June 2, 2026 primary. Only the Secretary of State section was read. Wagner's primary statement says California's election system is 'broken,' cites the lack of ID at the polls, a dog that he says was registered and had its vote counted, and a '30 excruciating days' count. It commits to three reforms (voter ID at the polls, mail ballots returned by Election Day, and a ban on 'ballot harvesting' by paid canvassers) and adds a business-climate plank for the office's business-filings role. - Wagner: 'Election security is so weak at least one dog was registered to vote in California—and had its vote counted!' - Wagner: 'California takes 30 excruciating days. We are usually the last state in the country to stop counting.' - Reforms: '1) Require Voter ID at the polls; 2) Require mail ballots to be returned by Election Day; 3) Prohibit ballot harvesting by paid canvassers.' - Business plank: the office 'must be modernized and made business friendly.' - Experience cited: Legislature, Mayor of Irvine, Orange County Supervisor, business owner. ### Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner announces secretary of state candidacy - Spectrum News · news · published 2025-07-30 · stance: neutral - City News Service story (Spectrum News, July 30, 2025) on Wagner's entry into the Secretary of State race, with extended quotes from an interview. Wagner says he does not believe there is widespread fraud in California but that voter skepticism is a problem. He backs voter ID, floats a voter-registration deadline a week or two before elections in place of same-day registration, opposes mailing every voter a ballot, says he would not advocate a return to precincts, and wants jury-commissioner data and the national change-of-address system used to clean voter rolls. He also wants to improve business filings. - Wagner: 'Even if at the end of the day I don't believe there's rampant fraud in California I don't see what's so wrong with a simple thing like voter ID if it gives people more confidence.' - On same-day registration: 'What's wrong with having it a week or two weeks before.' - On mail ballots: 'why do we mail everybody a ballot? We did that during COVID and I think that was a mistake.' - He would not advocate returning to precincts or ending early voting. - He says he and Registrar Bob Page tried to cross-check rolls with jury-commissioner data, and his board voted it down. - 'California is a one-party state, but I want that opportunity to use this bully pulpit.' ### OC Supervisor Don Wagner wants California secretary of state as next job - Orange County Register · news · published 2025-07-30 · stance: neutral - Orange County Register article by Michael Slaten (July 30, 2025) on Wagner's launch as the first Republican challenger to Weber. Wagner says voters across the state distrust the election system 'whether they are right or wrong,' pledges that if voters pass voter ID he will 'take it to court if I need to' to make sure it is implemented, and says he would use the office as a bully pulpit to push the Legislature to shorten ballot-curing time and send mail ballots only to voters who request them. He also wants business filings to be 'seamless and customer-friendly.' - Wagner: 'I want the voters to know if you pass voter ID, that I will pledge to take it to court if I need to.' - He would advocate shortening the time allowed to cure ballots and sending mail ballots only on request. - Wagner: 'We are awash in ballots.' - The article cites a Gallup poll (84% of Americans support photo ID at the polls) and a PPIC poll (53% of adults and 63% of likely voters confident in California's system). - Weber won in 2022 with 60.1% of the vote. - Reference: Reform California voter ID initiative campaign - Reference: OC Register on the Huntington Beach voter ID appeal - Reference: SoS certification of the November 2024 results - Reference: PPIC on Californians' election confidence - Reference: Gallup poll on voter verification ### Secretary of State Candidate Don Wagner Seeks Secure Elections - Bay Area GOP · endorsement · published undated · stance: support - A BayAreaGOP.com profile by Roger Riffenburgh of Wagner's campaign, from a Republican-aligned site. It quotes his core campaign line on secure and accessible elections, says he supports the expected voter ID initiative and wants faster, more transparent reporting, and gives his biography: business lawyer, community college trustee, Assemblymember 2010 to 2016, Irvine mayor, and Orange County supervisor since 2019. - Wagner: 'I will make sure that every eligible voter can participate in our democracy while also protecting the security of elections by ensuring that only eligible voters cast ballots.' - He supports the voter ID initiative and has criticized delays in reporting election results. - Endorsed by former Gov. Pete Wilson and former Secretaries of State Bill Jones and Bruce McPherson, who are campaign co-chairs. - The article says his wife, Megan, is a Superior Court judge. - Reference: Wagner campaign site - Reference: California Republican Party endorsements ### California 2026 - Democratic Association of Secretaries of State · endorsement · published undated · stance: support - A campaign page from the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State (DASS), a partisan committee that works to elect Democratic secretaries of state, supporting Weber and opposing Wagner. It says Wagner's platform is 'rooted in sowing distrust in elections and restricting access to the ballot.' It criticizes his support for the 2026 voter ID initiative and his pledge to take legal action to enforce it, citing studies it says show voter ID laws disproportionately affect voters of color, students and the elderly, and it criticizes his proposals to end automatic mail-ballot delivery and shorten the time to fix ballot problems. - DASS says Wagner pledged to take legal action to enforce voter ID if it passes. - It says he called the state 'awash in ballots' and wants to limit mail voting to those who request it and reduce ballot-curing time. - It says Wagner 'justifies his stance by pointing to vague voter concerns, not evidence.' - It calls his agenda 'a national right-wing agenda to roll back voting rights.' - Reference: OC Register on Wagner's campaign launch - Reference: Brennan Center research on voter identification ### Secretary of State Candidate Statements (Nov. 3, 2026 Official Voter Information Guide) - California Secretary of State · position statement · published undated · stance: not_applicable - The California Secretary of State's Official Voter Information Guide page for the November 3, 2026 general election, carrying the candidate-supplied statements for Secretary of State. Donald P. (Don) Wagner's statement calls California's election system 'mismanaged and broken,' contrasts the state's month-long count with Election Night results elsewhere, cites the lack of photo ID at the polls and outdated voter rolls, and pledges to speed up counting, secure elections and be a non-partisan 'umpire.' It directs readers to WagnerForCalifornia.com and protectmyvoteca.org for his reform platform. Incumbent Shirley Weber's statement appears on the same page. - Wagner says other large states announce results on Election Night while California 'takes more than a month,' and quotes Gov. Newsom: 'the longer the voting count takes, the more mis-and disinformation spreads.' - He says 36 states and most democratic nations require photo ID at the polls and California does not, citing a dog that he says 'was registered and voted twice.' - He says outdated rolls mean the state 'wastes millions mailing ballots to people who have moved or died.' - He pledges to 'speed up vote counting, secure our elections, and remove the chief elections officer from partisan politics,' and to be 'an umpire for fair elections, not a partisan player.' - He names protectmyvoteca.org and WagnerForCalifornia.com as the home of his election reform platform. - Reference: SoS voter guide: all candidates ### Don Wagner issues statement on Voter ID Initiative qualification for the November ballot - Lassen News · position statement · published undated · stance: support - ### Candidate Don Wagner says one simple reform would guarantee election integrity - Lassen News · position statement · published undated · stance: support - ### Endorsements — Wagner for California - Wagner campaign · endorsement · published undated · stance: support - The endorsements page of Wagner's campaign. It lists campaign chairs Pete Wilson (former governor) and former Secretaries of State Bruce McPherson and Bill Jones, and a steering committee of mostly Republican current and former officials: members of Congress Ken Calvert, Connie Conway, Michelle Steel and Mimi Walters; Senate Republican Leader Brian Jones; Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes; Yolo County DA Jeff Reisig; and many state legislators, county supervisors and mayors. - Campaign chairs: Pete Wilson, Bruce McPherson, Bill Jones. - Steering committee includes Rep. Ken Calvert, former Reps. Connie Conway, Michelle Steel and Mimi Walters, and former Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle. - Law enforcement endorsers include OC Sheriff Don Barnes and Yolo County DA Jeff Reisig. ### Lack of Oversight from Secretary of State to Cost California Taxpayers Millions of Dollars - Wagner for California · position statement · published undated · stance: support - A Wagner campaign press release reacting to news of an error in the California Voter Guide issued by Weber's office, which it says was mailed to over 23 million voters and will cost taxpayers millions because a correction postcard must be mailed. Wagner says Weber 'fails' on accuracy and cost-effectiveness, and that she 'seems more interested in fighting with the Department of Justice and blocking common sense reforms like voter ID' than doing her job. - Release says an inaccurate voter guide went to over 23 million voters and a correction postcard is required. - Wagner: 'Shirley Weber fails on both counts.' - Wagner: 'As Secretary of State, I will run a secure, fair and efficient election process.' ### Wagner for California (campaign site) - Wagner campaign · position statement · published undated · stance: support - The home page of Wagner's campaign site. It quotes his core line about an election system that is 'secure, efficient, accurate and accessible to every eligible voter,' lists three campaign aims (only eligible voters cast ballots; secure, efficient, accurate and accessible elections; a 'small-business friendly' business division), and says he 'fully supports' the voter ID initiative on the November ballot. - Aims: 'Only eligible voters cast ballots'; elections 'secure, efficient, accurate, and accessible'; business division 'small-business friendly.' - 'Don Wagner fully supports the Voter ID Initiative on the ballot in November.' - Reference: Campaign prospectus (PDF) ### Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner Launches Campaign for California Secretary of State - Wagner for California · position statement · published undated · stance: support - Wagner's campaign launch press release, announcing his candidacy and naming former Secretaries of State Bill Jones and Bruce McPherson as campaign co-chairs. He commits to 'restoring Californians' damaged trust in their election system,' fully endorses the California Voter ID initiative and pledges to implement it if adopted, and promises full public access to candidates' financial disclosures and an office that is a partner to businesses. - Wagner: 'I want to assure that every eligible voter, but only eligible voters, can exercise the fundamental American right to participate in our democracy.' - He calls Weber 'Gavin Newsom's appointee' and 'a longtime and outspoken opponent of voter identification laws.' - 'I fully endorse the California Voter ID initiative and pledge to uphold and implement it should voters adopt it.' - He promises that the public will have 'complete ready access' to candidate financial information and that job creators will 'finally have a friend in Sacramento.' - Reference: Campaign prospectus (PDF) ### Newsom Steps in For Shirley Weber – Asks County Election Officials to Speed Up Ballot Counting - Wagner for California · position statement · published undated · stance: support - A Wagner campaign press release responding to a letter from Gov. Newsom asking the 58 county election officials to count June primary ballots faster. It contrasts this with Weber's statements that counting could not be sped up and her CalMatters quote that 'accuracy is far more important.' Wagner says 'We need accurate, speedy ballot counting. Why can't we have both?' - Release says Newsom's letter implied that 'lengthy counting processes encourages distrust and lies.' - It says Weber announced 'last year' that ballots could not be counted faster. - Wagner: 'This is not a partisan issue, this is a good process issue.' - Wagner: 'We just need a Secretary of State who will put politics aside and embrace the process improvements.' - Reference: CalMatters interview with Weber cited in the release - Reference: Image of the Newsom letter cited ## Suggested use Ask me neutral questions about this subject using the material above. Distinguish what the sources say from your own background knowledge, cite the source titles you rely on, and say when information may be out of date given the dates shown.