# Secretary of State Project

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Secretary_of_State_Project
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Secretary_of_State_Project.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_State_Project
> Source revision: 1351290446
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Infobox organization
|name = Secretary of State Project
|image = SecretaryofStateProjectLogo.gif
|image_border =
|image_size =
|num_members = 
|caption =
|formation = 2006
|website =
|affiliations =
}}
Formed in the fall of 2006 by Becky Bond, Michael Kieschnick, and [James Rucker](/source/James_Rucker),<ref name=politico>[https://www.politico.com/story/2008/11/secretaries-of-state-give-dem-firewall-015105 "Secretaries of state give Dem firewall"] Politico article, November 2, 2008.</ref> the '''Secretary of State Project''' was an American [non-profit](/source/non-profit_organization), [progressive](/source/progressivism_in_the_United_States) or [liberal](/source/Liberalism) [527](/source/527_group) [political action committee](/source/political_action_committee) focused on electing reform-minded progressive [Secretaries of State](/source/State_secretary_of_state) in battleground states,<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-08-16-secretary-state-democrats_x.htm "Top vote counter becomes prize job"] USA Today article, August 17, 2006.</ref> who typically oversee the election process. They hoped to prevent a repeat of [Florida 2000](/source/United_States_presidential_election_in_Florida%2C_2000), where the projects backers claimed that a Republican Secretary of State, [Katherine Harris](/source/Katherine_Harris), took a partisan role in helping to determine the 2000 presidential election results.<ref name=politico /> The Project was funded by [George Soros](/source/George_Soros) and members of the [Democracy Alliance](/source/Democracy_Alliance) including [Gail Furman](/source/Gail_Furman), [John R. Hunting](/source/John_R._Hunting); [Paul Rudd](/source/Paul_Rudd); [Pat Stryker](/source/Pat_Stryker); [Nicholas Hanauer](/source/Nicholas_Hanauer); [Rob Stein](/source/Rob_Stein); [Drummond Pike](/source/Drummond_Pike); [Robert Bowditch](/source/Robert_Bowditch); Scott Wallace; [Susie Tompkins Buell](/source/Susie_Tompkins_Buell); [Albert Dwoskin](/source/Albert_Dwoskin); and Rob McKay.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Chuck  |last=Neubauer  |authorlink   =|title= Soros and liberal groups seeking top election posts in battleground states  |work=[Washington Times](/source/Washington_Times)|date= June 23, 2011 |url= https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jun/23/section-527-works-to-seat-liberals-as-election-ove/ |accessdate=}}</ref>

A notable achievement of the Secretary of State Project was the election of Minnesota Secretary of State [Mark Ritchie](/source/Mark_Ritchie_(politician)) in 2006. Ritchie played a pivotal role in adjudicating the 2008 Senate race between [Al Franken](/source/Al_Franken) and [Norm Coleman](/source/Norm_Coleman), by examining disputed absentee ballots during the [Minnesota Senate recount](/source/Minnesota_senate_recount).<ref>[http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/07/06/ritchie/ "A recount to make Minnesota proud"] Mark Ritchie's op ed, Minnesota Public Radio, July 7, 2009.</ref>

In 2010 during the midterm election GOP wave, the PAC was run by [Laura Packard](/source/Laura_Packard). 2 of 7 candidates were re-elected (California Secretary of State [Debra Bowen](/source/Debra_Bowen) and Minnesota Secretary of State [Mark Ritchie](/source/Mark_Ritchie_(politician))). After 2010, the Project had disappeared.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/12/12/amid-voter-id-battle-democrats-launch-pac-for-secretary-of-state-races/ "Amid voter I.D. battle, Democrats launch PAC for Secretary of State races"], [Washington Post](/source/Washington_Post), Aaron Blake, December 12, 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2014.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

Category:Political organizations based in the United States
Category:United States political action committees
Category:Political organizations established in 2006
Category:527 organizations
Category:Progressive organizations in the United States

{{US-election-stub}}

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Secretary of State Project](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_State_Project) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_State_Project?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.