2006 Results
In 2006, the Secretary of State Project raised over $500,000 and helped elect five reformers in key battleground states. Dollar for dollar, our model was one of the most effective political investments of the cycle.
Thanks to SoS Project donors, Ohio's 2008 presidential election will be run by Jennifer Brunner, not the Cheney/Bush crony who was on the brink of buying the election. Not only did we contribute over $167,000 directly to the Brunner campaign, we also spent over $30,000 in a highly targeted, independent expenditure campaign that focused on reaching Ohio college students and unmarried women voters.
Also thanks to SoS Project donors, Minnesota's Mark Ritchie- a true champion for democracy - was able to defeat a two-term incumbent republican by less than five points. We helped close the gap and make the difference with cable television ads targeting women and seniors.
We also scored an important victory for Mary Herrera in New Mexico. Secretary of State Project contributors provided her with more than 10% of her budget, and our strategic fund put statewide radio ads on the air. Our help also propelled Nevada's Ross Miller and Iowa's Michael Mauro to victory.
Despite a hard fought campaign, our candidate Carmella Sabaugh lost to incumbent Terri Lynn Land in Michigan. In Colorado, our candidate Ken Gordon lost a very close race, in part because of widespread voting problems in Denver - more proof that we need clean Secretaries of State who will protect elections.
Read below for a final vote tally and a personal thank you message from 2006 SoS Project candidates.
OHIO: SoS Project candidate Jennifer Brunner wins!
Jennifer Brunner 1,994,276 (54.78%)
Greg Hartmann 1,482,064 (40.71%)
Jennifer Brunner writes: "My sincere thanks to everyone for supporting my campaign for Ohio secretary of state. None of this would have been possible without the support of grassroots donors who came together through the Secretary of State Project. Working together we will bring free, fair, open and honest elections to Ohio in 2008. My election is also historic for the fact that I am the first woman to be elected secretary of state in Ohio. I will utilize my sense of fairness I learned as a judge and my years of election law experience to create an elections system that will become a model. When the eyes of the Nation look to Ohio in 2008, you will have confidence in our system. Thank you again for your support and your trust in me to carry out this most important mission.
MINNESOTA: SoS Project candidate Mark Ritchie wins!
Mark Ritchie 1,049,434 ( 49.09%)
Mary Kiffmeyer 944,004 (44.16%)
Mark Ritchie writes: "I want to thank the Secretary of State Project and its thousands of grassroots donors for helping to push my campaign over the top. Your wonderful support - both directly to my campaign and through generous expenditures by the strategic fund - helped me get our election reform message to Minnesota voters. And the voters overwhelming cast their ballot to protect our democracy on election day."
NEW MEXICO: SoS Project candidate Mary Herrera wins!
Mary Herrera 291563 (54.0%)
Vickie Perea 248020 (46.0%)
Mary Herrera writes: "Your support made a big difference to my campaign. New Mexico has a history of close elections - the presidential vote was decided by just 6,000 votes here in 2006. Thanks to the help of the Secretary of State Project and its donors, we can make sure every voter is able to cast a ballot that counts on Election Day."
NEVADA: SoS Project candidate Ross Miller wins!
Ross Miller 279,499 (48.73%)
Danny Tarkanian 232,691 (40.57%)
Ross Miller writes: "I want to extend my gratitude to all the donors who gave generously to my campaign via the Secretary of State Project web site. It was a hard fought campaign, but thanks to contributions from concerned citizens like you, the Secretary of State office under my direction will ensure fair and transparent elections in Nevada for years to come."
IOWA: SoS Project candidate Michael Mauro wins!
Michael Mauro 538108 ( 53.6%)
Mary Ann Hanusa 465,871 (46.4%)
Michael Mauro writes: "Thank you for protecting our election process. Without your support and dedication to ensuring every vote counts in this country, true democratic efforts such as the Secretary of State Project would not be possible. My campaign would not have been successful without your help and dedication. Thank you."
MICHIGAN: SoS Project loss to Republican
Terri Lynn Land 2,090,651 (56.17%)
Carmella Sabaugh 1,560,934 (41.94%)
Carmella Sabaugh writes: "My heartfelt thanks to the donors of the Secretary of State Project who supported my campaign to bring election reform to Michigan. Even though we did not win, with your help we were able to take our message of free and fair elections for all Michigan citizens to every corner of the state."