Secretary of the State of Connecticut


The Secretary of the State of Connecticut is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is an elected position in the state government and has a term length of four years.
The current Secretary of the State is Denise Merrill, a Democrat who has held the office since 2011.
The Secretary of the State's Office is composed of two divisions:

Pre-Statehood

Since Statehood

Connecticut ratified the United States Constitution and gained statehood in 1788.
NameTownPolitical PartyTerm of service
George WyllysHartford1788–1796
Samuel WyllysHartford1796–1810
Thomas DayHartford1810–1835
Royal Ralph HinmanSouthbury1835–1842
Noah A. PhelpsHartford1842–1844
Daniel P. TylerPomfret1844–1846
Charles W. BradleyHartford1846–1847
John B. RobertsonNew Haven1847–1849
Roger H. MillsN. HartfordWhig1849–1850
Hiram WeedDanburyDemocratic1850
John P. C. MatherNew LondonDemocratic1850–1854
Oliver H. PerryFairfieldWhig1854–1855
Nehemiah D. SperryNew HavenAmerican1855–1857
Orville H. PlattMeridenAmerican, Republican1857–1858
John BoydWinchesterRepublican1858–1861
James Hammond TrumbullHartfordRepublican1861–1866
Leverett E. PeaseSomersUnion1866–1869
Hiram ApplemanGrotonRepublican1869–1870
Thomas M. WallerNew LondonDemocratic1870–1871
Hiram ApplemanGrotonRepublican1871–1873
D. W. EdgecombFairfieldRepublican1873
Marvin H. SangerCanterburyDemocratic1873–1877
Dwight MorrisBridgeportDemocratic1877-–1879
David TorranceDerbyRepublican1879–1881
Charles E. SearlsThompsonRepublican1881–1883
D. Ward NorthropMiddletownDemocratic1883–1885
Charles A. RussellKillinglyRepublican1885–1887
Leverett M. HubbardWallingfordRepublican1887–1889
R. Jay WalshGreenwichRepublican1889–1893
John J. PhelanBridgeportDemocratic1893–1895
William C. MowryNorwichRepublican1895–1897
Charles PhelpsRockvilleRepublican1897–1899
Huber ClarkWillimanticRepublican1899–1901
Charles G. R. VinalMiddletownRepublican1901–1905
Theodore BodenweinNew LondonRepublican1905–1909
Matthew H. RogersBridgeportRepublican1909–1913
Albert PhillipsStamfordDemocratic1913–1915
Charles D. BurnesGreenwichRepublican1915–1917
Frederick L. PerryNew HavenRepublican1917–1921
Donald J. WarnerSalisburyRepublican1921–1923
Francis A. PallottiHartfordRepublican1923–1929
William L. HigginsCoventryRepublican1929–1933
John A. DanaherHartfordRepublican1933–1935
C. John SattiNew LondonDemocratic1935–1939
Sara B. CrawfordWestportRepublican1939–1941
Chase G. WoodhouseNew LondonDemocratic1941–1943
Frances B. RedickNewingtonRepublican1943–1945
Charles J. PrestiaNew BritainDemocratic1945–1947
Frances B. RedickNewingtonRepublican1947–1949
Winifred McDonaldWaterburyDemocratic1949–1951
Alice K. LeopoldWestonRepublican1951–1953
Charles B. KeatsBridgeportRepublican1953–1955
Mildred P. AllenHartfordRepublican1955–1959
Ella GrassoWindsor LocksDemocratic1959–1971
Gloria SchafferWoodbridgeDemocratic1971–1978
Henry S. CohnWest HartfordDemocratic1978–1979
Barbara B. KennellyHartfordDemocratic1979–1982
Maura L. MelleyWethersfieldDemocratic1982–1983
Julia TashjianWindsorDemocratic1983–1991
Pauline R. KezerPlainvilleRepublican1991–1995
Miles S. RapoportWest HartfordDemocratic1995–1999
Susan BysiewiczMiddletownDemocratic1999–2011
Denise MerrillMansfieldDemocratic2011–present