Don Wagner, a Republican, is running for California Secretary of State in the November 2026 general election against Democratic incumbent Shirley Weber, having advanced from the primary with about 37% of the vote. He holds a law degree from UC Hastings and has practiced law in Orange County since the late 1980s, including founding the county’s Federalist Society chapter. He served three terms on the South Orange County Community College District board, then in the California State Assembly from 2010 to 2016, followed by a term as Mayor of Irvine from 2016 to 2019, during which he worked to advance the long-delayed Orange County Great Park project. He has served on the Orange County Board of Supervisors since 2019, including a term as board chair.
As a supervisor, Wagner pushed to release sensitive voter data to the Trump Justice Department amid unsubstantiated claims of voting irregularities, criticized the county’s COVID-19 response and diversity-program spending, and defended a fellow supervisor amid a scandal over misused public funds while blocking proposals to require supervisors to disclose family financial ties to county-funded organizations. In 2021, he drew scrutiny for raising the idea of “tracking devices” in COVID-19 vaccines at a public meeting, based on constituent claims, which he later said was not an endorsement of the theory. His platform for Secretary of State centers on voter ID, tightening voter rolls, and faster election certification.
