About Katharine E. Clark
Secretary of State Candidate · Santa Fe County Clerk
“The fight for justice—and for our democracy—
is the defining struggle of our time.
I’m committed to taking risks for what’s right.
I believe a healthy democracy gives ordinary people real power, and I work every day to build systems that protect their right to participate.”
Katharine Clark is serving her second term as Santa Fe County Clerk, where she has become one of the most trusted and forward-thinking election officials in the country. Katharine has demonstrated visionary, strategic leadership, smoothly guiding one of New Mexico’s largest counties through the most significant election reforms and crises in state history.
Katharine didn’t come into this work through the usual political path. After earning her degree in Cognitive Neuroscience and Moral Psychology from UC Berkeley, she went back to school in 2019 to earn her MBA in Strategic Management and Public Policy from the University of New Mexico. She began her professional life as a union organizer, fighting for people whose voices were overlooked. Then she became a technologist and policy advocate, a small business owner, and a non-profit director. Katharine’s depth of political experience shows in the many successful campaigns she has managed. Over years of working within the legislative cycle, she has served as an expert witness, shaped policy discussions, and drafted bills that the Legislative Finance Committee continues to uplift as examples of strong, well-designed legislation.
Throughout her career, Katharine has built and led high-impact coalitions across these fields, guided by her core belief that thoughtfully designed systems and modern governance mechanisms are the foundation of a resilient and thriving democracy. Her work reflects a consistent commitment to empowering people, protecting their rights, and strengthening the democratic institutions that serve them.
Please visit Katharine's LinkedIn page for her full CV
A nationally recognized expert in election integrity, technology, and voter trust.
Over the years, Katharine has earned multiple professional certifications. She serves on numerous boards, bringing her expertise to strengthen elections, advance best practices, and support the democratic process at every level.
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The only Secretary of State candidate in the race who has completed the CERA (Certified Elections/Registration Administrator) program — the gold standard for election administration — and the only New Mexico county clerk certified through NMSU’s NM EDGE program.
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Elected Legislative Chair of the New Mexico Clerk’s Affiliate
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Elected board member for New Mexico Counties
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Appointed board member New Mexico’s Voting System Change Committee
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Advisory board member MIT’s Election Lab Advisory Committee
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Bipartisan Policy Center’s Election Advisory Group
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Vice Chair of the Election Subcommittee of the National Association of Counties
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Founding member of the Partnership of Large Election Jurisdictions
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Re-elected by 1,300 counties to serve on the EI-ISAC (Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center) cybersecurity leadership council
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Advisor to the Arizona State University Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory
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Former Secretary of the state-wide Democratic Party
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Former Vice Chair of the state-wide Young Democrats
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Board member of the Santa Fe Human Rights Alliance
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Emerge graduate 2017
Katharine is a strong, inspirational leader who keeps her team focused and her office free from election controversies — earning broad trust and setting the standard for election integrity in New Mexico. Her leadership drives Santa Fe County’s contribution to the state’s #1 ranking in the MIT Election Performance Index. Guided by a clear vision, a strong sense of purpose, and empowering leadership, she leads a high-performing, team-oriented office where staff collaborate, take decisive action, and pursue extensive professional development — including achieving the highest number of certified public officials and the largest graduating class in her division. Together, they have worked tirelessly, using their deep experience and skills, to:
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Modernize Santa Fe County elections operations, taking Santa Fe County from often last to report to first to report results, build a new elections warehouse, and a state-of-the-art absentee ballot process that provides the most absentee drop boxes per capita
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Win 10+ national awards for innovative election operations, first-in-the-nation technology, youth outreach, and differently-abled access
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Create programs now modeled nationally — including the state’s first ballot-tracking system, an award-winning poll-worker training program, and Democracy 101 civic education initiative — later modeled by the Secretary of State’s office
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Fight for same-day registration, open primaries, and expanded access for rural, tribal, and disabled voters — delivering some of the highest tribal turnout and most secure elections in the nation
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Deliver a strategic pre-bunking program via voter education, candidate trainings, and a messaging campaign that keeps election misinformation out of Santa Fe County
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Push for legislation that would keep open-carry out of polling locations
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Lead a team of long-time county clerks and staff in overhauling the County Clerk's NMSU certification, ensuring modernized operations, pro-voter planning, and professionalization among election officials across the state.
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Play an instrumental role in passing a constitutional amendment to ensure County Clerks see a pay bump, ensuring qualified election officials run for office
Every improvement has been about real people: the first-time voter, the elder casting a ballot from home, the neighbor who trusts the process because they saw the transparency for themselves.
