Donald P. Wagner, a Republican and Orange County supervisor, is challenging Democratic incumbent Shirley N. Weber for California secretary of state in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
The secretary of state oversees statewide elections, maintains business filings and provides public access to campaign finance and lobbying disclosures, according to the official voter guide.
Wagner’s campaign emphasizes voter identification requirements, faster ballot counting and changes to the office’s business services.
“Californians deserve an excellent election system that is secure, efficient, accurate and accessible to every eligible voter,” Wagner says on his campaign website.
Candidate information
Party: Republican.
Residence: Irvine.
Education: Wagner earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a law degree in 1987 from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, now UC Law San Francisco, according to his Orange County Transportation Authority biography.
Family: Wagner’s campaign biography says he and his wife, Megan, have three children and two grandchildren.
Experience and public service
Wagner has served on the Orange County Board of Supervisors since 2019. His earlier elected positions include mayor of Irvine, California assemblymember and trustee of the South Orange County Community College District.
According to his campaign biography, Wagner served in the Assembly from 2010 to 2016 and became Irvine’s mayor in 2016. He previously spent 12 years on the community college district’s board, including six years as board president.
Wagner is also an attorney with a background in business and real estate law.
On the issues
Voter identification: Wagner supports requiring photo identification at the polls. His campaign argues that stronger identification requirements would improve election security and public confidence.
California generally does not require voters to present identification at the polls, although identification requirements apply to some first-time voters, according to the secretary of state’s voting guidance.
Ballot counting: Wagner has pledged to speed up vote counting. In his official candidate statement, he criticizes the time California takes to complete election results.
California already releases preliminary results on election night. Those figures are updated as county officials process remaining ballots and complete verification, according to the secretary of state’s explanation of the official canvass.
Voter registration records: Wagner says he wants to improve the accuracy of voter rolls. His candidate statement identifies outdated registration records as a concern and calls for stronger election administration.
Voter access: Wagner says his goal is to protect participation by eligible voters while ensuring that only eligible voters cast ballots.
“I will make sure that every eligible voter can participate in our democracy while also protecting the security of elections by ensuring that only eligible voters cast ballots,” he says on his campaign website.
Nonpartisan administration: Wagner says the secretary of state should administer elections without favoring a political party.
In his candidate statement, he describes his intended approach as being “an umpire for fair elections, not a partisan player.”
Business services: Wagner’s campaign says he wants the secretary of state’s business division to be more accessible to small businesses. The office handles filings for corporations, limited liability companies and other business entities.
Endorsements
CalMatters’ election guide lists endorsements for Wagner from the California Republican Party, California Republican Assembly and Reform California.
The Burlingame-Hillsborough Times candidate questionnaire was sent to Donald P. Wagner’s campaign. No response was received as of Oct. 21, 2026. The policy positions in this profile are drawn from his public campaign website and public records, including his published candidate statement.
