# 2023 Kentucky Secretary of State election

Elections in Kentucky :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1792
1793
1794
1798
1800
1804
1805 sp
1806
1806 sp
1811
1813
1814 sp
1815 sp
1816
1816 sp
1818
1819 sp
1820 sp
1823
1824 sp
1829
1831 sp
1835
1836
1841
1842
1842 sp
1843
1848
1849
1849 sp
1851
1851 sp
1854
1858
1859
1861 sp
1865
1867
1868 sp
1871
1872
1873 sp
1876
1879
1882
1884
1888
1890
1890 sp
1893 sp
1894
1897
1900
1902
1906
1908
1912
1914
1914 sp
1918
1920
1924
1926
1930
1930 sp
1932
1936
1938
1940 sp
1942
1944
1946 sp
1948
1950
1950 sp
1952 sp
1954
1956
1956 sp
1960
1962
1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1792
1793
1795
1797
1799
1801
1803
1804
1806
1808
1810
5th sp
1812
1813
8th sp
1814
2nd sp
1815
2nd sp
1816
1st sp
1818
1820
1821
8th sp
1822
1824
1825
3rd sp
1826
5th sp
12th sp
1827
11th sp
1828
2nd sp
1829
1831
1833
1834
5th sp
1835
1837
1839
1841
1843
1845
1847
1849
1851
1853
1854
3rd sp
1855
1857
1859
1861
1862
2nd sp
1863
1865
1866
3rd sp
5th sp
6th sp
1867
3rd sp
1868
1870
3rd sp
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
6th sp
1892
1894
9th sp
10th sp
1896
1898
1899
7th sp
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1923
7th sp
1924
9th sp
1925
3rd sp
1926
1928
1929
3rd sp
1930
2nd sp
1932
1934
1935
4th sp
1936
1937
2nd sp
1938
1940
1942
1943
4th sp
1944
1946
1948
2nd sp
9th sp
1950
1951
6th sp
1952
2nd sp
1953
2nd sp
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1971
6th sp
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
2nd sp
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
6th sp
2006
2008
2010
2012
4th sp
2014
2016
1st sp
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
State elections
2007
2008
2010
2011
2012
2014
2015
2016
2018
2019
2020
2022
2023
2024
Gubernatorial elections
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1851
1855
1859
1863
1867
1868 sp
1871
1875
1879
1883
1887
1891
1895
1899
1900 sp
1903
1907
1911
1915
1919
1923
1927
1931
1935
1939
1943
1947
1951
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983
1987
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
2027
Secretary of State elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Attorney General elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
State Treasurer elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
State Auditor elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Agriculture Commissioner elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Senate elections
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Special
House of Representatives elections
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Special
Supreme Court elections
2008
2010
2012
2014
2015 sp
2016
2018
2019 sp
2020
2022
2024 :
Ballot measures
2004Amendment 1
2022Amendment 2
2024Amendment 2 :
Lexington
Mayoral elections
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Louisville
Mayoral elections
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Government :
vte :
The 2023 Kentucky Secretary of State election took place on November 7, 2023, to elect the Secretary of State of Kentucky. Incumbent secretary of state Michael Adams won re-election to a second term after he defeated Democratic nominee Buddy Wheatley. Primaries were held on May 16, 2023.

## Republican primary
### Candidates
#### Nominee

* Michael Adams, incumbent secretary of state

#### Eliminated in primary

* Stephen Knipper, former Erlanger city councilor, nominee for Secretary of State in 2015 and candidate in 2019
* Allen Maricle, former state representative (1994–1998)

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Michael Adams | 171,288 | 63.9 |
| | Republican | Stephen Knipper | 70,993 | 26.5 |
| | Republican | Allen Maricle | 25,772 | 9.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 268,053 | 100 |

## Democratic primary
### Candidates
#### Nominee

* Buddy Wheatley, former state representative (2019–2023)

#### Declined

* Neville Blakemore, construction executive and candidate for state treasurer in 2015

#### Endorsements

Organizations
* United Mine Workers of America
* Kentucky State AFL-CIO

## General election
### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely R | June 21, 2023 |

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Michael Adams (R) | Buddy Wheatley (D) | Undecided |
| Public Opinion Strategies (R) | July 19–20, 2023 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 48% | 24% | 26% |

### Debates

2023 Kentucky Secretary of State debate :
| No. | Date | Host | Link | Republican | Democratic |
| P Participant A Absent  I Invitee | P Participant A Absent  I Invitee | P Participant A Absent  I Invitee | P Participant A Absent  I Invitee | | |
| P Participant A Absent  I Invitee | P Participant A Absent  I Invitee | P Participant A Absent  I Invitee | P Participant A Absent  I Invitee | Michael Adams | Buddy Wheatley |
| 1 | October 19, 2023 | WLKY | YouTube | P | P |

### Results

2023 Kentucky Secretary of State election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Michael Adams (incumbent) | 783,695 | 60.59% | +8.33% |
| | Democratic | Buddy Wheatley | 509,308 | 39.38% | −8.36% |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 460 | 0.04% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,293,463 | 100.00% | |

#### By congressional district

Adams won 5 of 6 congressional districts.
| District | Adams | Wheatley | Representative |
| 1st | 69% | 31% | James Comer |
| 2nd | 66% | 34% | Brett Guthrie |
| 3rd | 41% | 59% | Morgan McGarvey |
| 4th | 63% | 37% | Thomas Massie |
| 5th | 73% | 27% | Hal Rogers |
| 6th | 57% | 43% | Andy Barr |