# Denise Merrill

Denise W. Merrill (born October 8, 1948) is an American politician who most recently served as the Connecticut Secretary of the State from 2011 to 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, Merrill was previously a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives.

## Education

Merrill graduated from the University of Connecticut. She attended but did not graduate from the San Francisco Law School, now merged with Alliant International University, and was admitted to the State Bar of California.

## Career
### Connecticut House of Representatives

Merrill was first elected to office in 1993 in a special election and served as the House Majority Leader after being elected to that position prior to the 2009 legislative session and until becoming Secretary of the State. Previously, Merrill had served as the House Chair on the Appropriations Committee from 2005 to 2008. In the State House she represented Fifty-Fourth Assembly District, which includes the towns of Mansfield and Chaplin.

### Secretary of State

Following the state Democratic primary held on August 10, 2010, Merrill became her party's nominee for Secretary of the State for the November 2010 election. She went on to defeat Republican candidate Jerry Farrell Jr. on November 2. As a serving Secretary of State, she is a part of the National Association of Secretaries of State and was also elected its president for the 2016–2017 term.
On June 23, 2021, she announced her intent not to seek re-election in 2022.
On June 28, 2022, Merrill announced her resignation effective June 30, in order to spend more time caring for her ailing husband.

### Other work

She currently serves on the Board of Advisors of Let America Vote, an organization founded by former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander that aims to end voter suppression.

## Personal life

Merrill is also a classically trained pianist. She has three grown children and five grandchildren.

## Electoral history

Connecticut House of Representatives 54th District Election, 1994 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic* | Denise Merrill | 3,843 | 77.01 |
| Republican | David Dyer | 1,147 | 22.99 |
*Merrill was also nominated on A Connecticut Party line.
Connecticut House of Representatives 54th District Election, 1996 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Denise Merrill (inc.) | 4,748 | 100.00 |
Connecticut House of Representatives 54th District Election, 1998 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Denise Merrill (inc.) | 3,384 | 100.00 |
Connecticut House of Representatives 54th District Election, 2000 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Denise Merrill (inc.) | 4,506 | 100.00 |
Connecticut House of Representatives 54th District Election, 2002 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Denise Merrill (inc.) | 3,959 | 76.95 |
| Republican | John Thatcher, III | 1,186 | 23.05 |
Connecticut House of Representatives 54th District Election, 2004 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Denise Merrill (inc.) | 6,312 | 94.51 |
| Working Families | Magdalena Russell | 367 | 5.49 |
Connecticut House of Representatives 54th District Election, 2006 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic* | Denise Merrill (inc.) | 5,916 | 100.00 |
| Write-in | James Sargent | 2 | 0.00 |
*Merrill was also listed on the Working Families Party line.
Connecticut House of Representatives 54th District Election, 2008 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Denise Merrill (inc.) | 8,781 | 100.00 |
Connecticut Secretary of State Democratic Primary Election, 2010 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Denise Merrill | 107,003 | 62.95 |
| Democratic | Gerry Garcia | 62,978 | 37.05 |
Connecticut Secretary of State Election, 2010 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic* | Denise Merrill | 584,313 | 52.87 |
| Republican | Jerry Farrell, Jr. | 484,163 | 43.81 |
| Independent | Michael Telesca | 14,530 | 1.31 |
| Green | Michael DeRosa | 13,566 | 1.23 |
| Libertarian | Ken Mosher | 8,631 | 0.78 |
*Merrill was also listed on the Working Families Party line.
Connecticut Secretary of State Election, 2014 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic* | Denise Merrill (inc.) | 533,543 | 50.95 |
| Republican* | Peter Lumaj | 489,515 | 46.75 |
| Green | Michael DeRosa | 24,038 | 2.30 |
*Merrill was also listed on the Working Families Party line; Lumaj was also listed on the Independent Party line.
Connecticut Secretary of State Election, 2018 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic* | Denise Merrill (inc.) | 764,067 | 55.87 |
| Republican* | Susan Chapman | 580,779 | 42.47 |
| Green | Michael DeRosa | 12,469 | 0.91 |
| Libertarian | Heather Lynn Sylvestre Gwynn | 10,361 | 0.76 |
*Merrill was also listed on the Working Families Party line; Chapman was also listed on the Independent Party line.