Secretary of State of Wyoming facts for kids

The Secretary of State of Wyoming is an important job in the state government of Wyoming. This role is set up by the Constitution of Wyoming, which is like the rulebook for the state.

One of the most important duties of the Secretary of State is to take over as governor if the current governor cannot do their job. This means they are next in line! Wyoming does not have a lieutenant governor, so the Secretary of State steps in. They also act as governor when the actual governor is traveling outside the state.

The Secretary of State is also the official keeper of the Great Seal of Wyoming. This seal is a special symbol of the state. They are also the main record-keeper for all official state documents.

What Does the Secretary of State Do?

The Secretary of State's office is split into five main parts, called divisions. Each division handles different important tasks for the state of Wyoming.

Administrative Services Division

This part of the office manages all the money for the other divisions. It also helps people become notaries public. Notaries are people who can officially witness signatures on important documents. This division also makes sure that state rules, called regulations, are officially recorded.

Business Division

The Business Division helps businesses in Wyoming get started and stay organized. They keep records of companies, including corporations. They also handle official records for things like liens, which are legal claims on property. This division also registers trademarks and trade names, which protect a business's unique symbols or names. They are also in charge of licensing Wyoming's official trademark, the Bucking Horse and Rider.

Compliance Division

This division looks after the securities industry in Wyoming. Securities are like investments, such as stocks and bonds. The Compliance Division checks for any rule-breaking in this industry. They also teach people about money and how to make smart financial choices.

Elections Division

The Elections Division is very important because it helps run all the elections in Wyoming. They record all the votes for statewide elections. They also make sure that rules about campaign finance (how money is used in elections) are followed. This division also registers lobbyists, who are people who try to influence government decisions.

Technology Division

The Technology Division makes sure that all the computers and programs for the Secretary of State's employees work well. They also keep the Secretary of State's official website up to date.

Who Has Held the Office?

The first person to be the Secretary of State of Wyoming was Amos W. Barber. He started this job on November 8, 1890. Before Wyoming became a state, the people in this role were called "Wyoming secretaries of the territory."

Wyoming Secretaries of the Territory

This table shows the people who served as Secretary of the Territory before Wyoming became a state.

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

Wyoming Secretaries of State

This table lists the people who have served as the Secretary of State for Wyoming since it became a state.

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

See Also

• List of company registers