Minnesota elections: Steve Simon reelected as Secretary of State

(FOX 9) - DFL incumbent Steve Simon has won reelection as Minnesota Secretary of State, defeating Republican challenger Tad Jude to secure a fourth term.

Steve Simon wins reelection

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon has won a fourth term, defeating Republican challenger Tad Jude in the 2026 election. With 96% of the votes counted, Simon earned 54.9% of the vote to Jude's 41.7%.

Simon, a DFLer who first took office in 2015, will continue leading the office that oversees Minnesota’s elections and business registrations.

FULL LIST: Minnesota 2026 election results

Minnesota Secretary of State election results

Results will start coming in after polls close at 8 p.m. Find live results below.

Who is Steve Simon?

Steve Simon took office in January 2015 after 10 years in the Minnesota House representing St. Louis Park and Hopkins. He chaired the House Elections Committee and previously worked as an assistant attorney general and a private-practice lawyer.

His campaign emphasizes protecting voting access, responding to election misinformation, supporting small businesses and strengthening protections for vulnerable residents.

Who is Tad Jude?

Tad Jude is also a former lawmaker. He became the youngest lawmaker to serve in Minnesota, being elected at the age of 20 and taking office at the age of 21.

He served in the Minnesota House from 1973 to 1982, then the Senate until 1988. After his time in office, he served as a judge. Jude was first elected as a DFL lawmaker before switching to an Independent Republican when he ran for Congress in 1992. Jude last ran for office in 2024, seeking the Republican nomination in the attorney general race.

His campaign calls for requiring photo identification to vote, updating voter rolls, preventing fraud in public programs and giving voters a say on restoring Minnesota's former flag. 

Other candidates in the race

Two third-party candidates are also seeking office in the Secretary of State race.

Chip Tangen is endorsed by the Libertarian Party of Minnesota. Tangen is an Eden Prairie native and former legislative counsel for Rep. Jim Ramstad. Tangen touts himself as a moderate, independent voice in the election. He supports policies that allow for "maximum participation and maximum security" in elections. According to his website, that includes support for same-day voter registration and Minnesota’s vouching rule. However, he says those those registrations must be thoroughly verified.

Seth Kuhl-Stennes is the Green Party candidate in the race. He is a Baudette native and a St. John’s University & the College of St. Benedict graduate. He says his priorities if elected would be to fight for proportional representation, establish ranked-choice voting for statewide elections, encourage the growth of democratically controlled businesses and expand public campaign financing.

The Source: Information in this story comes from The Associated Press' election results, the Minnesota Secretary of State website, campaign websites and previous FOX 9 reporting.