# Denny Hoskins

Denny L. Hoskins is an American politician who is currently serving as the 41st Secretary of State of Missouri since 2025. He previously served as a member of the Missouri Senate for the 21st District until 2024. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected to the Senate in 2016. He previously served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2009 to 2017.

## Missouri House of Representatives

Hoskins was first elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2008 to represent the 121st District. Hoskins was reelected in the 2010, 2012, and 2014 elections. Hoskins was term limited and ran for the Missouri Senate in the 2016 election.

## Missouri Senate

Hoskins was elected to the Missouri Senate in the 2016 election to represent the 21st District. In the midst of Missouri facing a budget shortfall, one of Hoskins' first votes as a state senator was to vote for a pay increase for state legislators. Hoskins was one of only two senators to vote for the pay increase.
In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoskins called for a special session of the Missouri legislature to implement legislation to prevent private-sector companies from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for staff and customers.
Hoskins has filibustered sports betting legislation in Missouri that doesn't include language on video lottery terminals (VLTs). Adding his own sportsbook regulation bills, Hoskins sees VLTs in the same area that needs to become regulated and taxed.

### Defamation lawsuit

In April 2024, Hoskins was sued for defamation by Denton Loudermill of Olathe, Kansas, after Hoskins shared an image on social media of Loudermill in handcuffs, falsely identifying him as an undocumented immigrant and as a shooter at the 2024 Kansas City parade shooting.

## Missouri Secretary of State

In 2025, Hoskins suspended payments for library subscriptions to OverDrive, Inc., a supplier for digital audiobooks and ebooks, alleging the app gives minors access to inappropriate content.

## Electoral history
### State representative

Missouri House of Representatives Primary Election, August 5, 2008, District 121 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Denny L. Hoskins | 1,246 | 72.32% | |
| | Republican | Steven R. Hedrick | 477 | 27.68% | |
Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 4, 2008, District 121 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Denny L. Hoskins | 7,008 | 50.44% | −16.59 |
| | Democratic | Jim Jackson | 6,886 | 49.56% | +21.24 |
Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 2, 2010, District 121 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Republican | Denny L. Hoskins | 5,292 | 57.85% | +7.41 |
| Democratic | Courtney Cole | 3,480 | 38.04% | −11.52 |
| Libertarian | Bill Wayne | 376 | 4.11% | +4.11 |
Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 6, 2012, District 54 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Republican | Denny Hoskins | 9,342 | 62.01% | +4.16 |
| Democratic | Nancy Maxwell | 4,511 | 29.95% | −8.09 |
| Independent | Eddie Osborne | 1,211 | 8.04% | +8.04 |
Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 4, 2014, District 54 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Denny Hoskins | 6,421 | 79.54% | +17.53 |
| | Constitution | Daniel Piemons | 1,652 | 20.46% | +20.46 |

### State Senate

Missouri Senate Primary Election, August 2, 2016, District 21 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Denny Hoskins | 11,219 | 58.51% | |
| | Republican | Mike McGhee | 7,954 | 41.49% | |
Missouri Senate Election, November 8, 2016, District 21 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Republican | Denny Hoskins | 50,288 | 67.63 | +2.50 |
| Democratic | ElGene Ver Dught | 19,988 | 26.88 | −3.39 |
| Libertarian | William Truman (Bill) Wayne | 4,077 | 5.48 | +0.88 |
Missouri Senate Election, November 3, 2020, District 21 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Denny Hoskins | 61,698 | 79.82 | +12.19 |
| | Libertarian | Mark Bliss | 15,595 | 20.18 | +14.70 |