Secretary of State
My Priorities
"Our elections face real challenges — from misinformation and aging systems to communities that have too often been left out. I know we can meet these challenges with courage, innovation, and a commitment to every voter. As Secretary of State, I want to modernize voter systems, protect expanded access for tribal, rural, and disabled voters, and make it easier for every person to participate without fear or frustration. I also want business owners to navigate state systems without red tape, and our public records to be preserved with care, transparency, and accessibility."
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"Our elections face real challenges — from misinformation and aging systems to communities that have too often been left out. Democracy demands courage, innovation, and a commitment to every voter. As Secretary of State, I will modernize our elections, protect access for every community, reduce barriers for businesses, and safeguard the transparency our state deserves."
Katharine Clark doesn't just protect the vote - she advances democracy
Katharine Clark is running for Secretary of State because she has the experience, vision, and proven leadership to meet the current challenges head-on. Katharine represents a new generation of Democratic leadership — one that protects democracy through real results and ensures government works for the people it serves, because every right depends on the right to vote.
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No other candidate is as well prepared for the multifaceted role of Secretary of State as Katharine Clark. Her professional experience, national recognition as an innovative, forward-thinking election administrator, and skilled management styel are a perfect match for the complex, wide-ranging responsibilities of the Secretary of State.
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Administrative Leadership: Katharine provides oversight to 33 county clerks and understands the importance of modernizing nearly 70 state forms — tools that democratize access and streamline critical processes. She is the only candidate in the race to have completed the CERA (Certified Elections/Registration Administrator) program, the gold standard in election administration, and the only New Mexico county clerk certified through NMSU’s NM EDGE program. She has consistently demonstrated that she will stand up when others remain silent, act when others hesitate, and lead with bold, proven solutions. Her MBA and business experience equip her to run the office efficiently and strategically.
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Legislative and Policy Expertise: Katharine has worked closely with legislative stakeholders to manage budgets, advocate for policy improvements, and translate complex technical details into actionable legislative outcomes. She has experience in rulemaking under the Election Code, overseeing notary licensing and certification, business licensing and transparency, campaign finance compliance, lobbyist reporting, chaptering signed bills, and serving as third in line to the governor.
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Election Innovation and Infrastructure: In Santa Fe County, Katharine launched the Democracy 101 civic education initiative — later modeled by the Secretary of State’s office — and brought ballot tracking, GPS-monitored ballot transport, real-time digital transparency tools, and award-winning outreach programs to voters. Under her leadership, Santa Fe County has consistently had the highest voter turnout among large counties in New Mexico.
"The Secretary of State's office infrastructure has not kept pace with the growing demands of modern elections. While significant pro-voter policies have been passed over the past five years, the systems and support needed to implement them fully have lagged behind. In short, we are ahead on policy but behind on infrastructure."
Our current voter registration file and election infrastructure are outdated, with planned obsolescence of hardware and software that threatens reliability.
Voter Registration Files
The new voter registration file is a three-year, $20 million project involving extensive stakeholder engagement to map and understand the workflows required to run statewide elections that ensure every eligible voter can cast a ballot.
Hardware & Software
The hardware and software that run our elections are reaching planned obsolescence, and current IT and product management fall short of modern standards. To ensure secure, efficient elections, we need to integrate advanced, robust software that modernizes and strengthens these critical processes.
Machine Certification
We have a strong opportunity to lead nationally on machine-certification standards by proactively implementing a plan to meet the 2.1 requirements and stay ahead of the curve.
Katharine has designed software that improves the accuracy of hand-counted ballots, cutting error rates and modernizing core election processes. She has been a leading voice in advancing national machine-certification standards, ensuring New Mexico is ready for the upcoming 2.0 and 2.1 requirements. At the National Association of Counties, she helped pass key election-security policies and pushed back against efforts to decertify the equipment counties rely on, standing on the frontlines with the Election Assistance Commission to protect and strengthen our systems.