Shirley N. Weber, California’s Democratic secretary of state, is seeking reelection in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Republican Donald P. Wagner.
The secretary of state oversees statewide elections, maintains business filings and provides public access to campaign finance and lobbying disclosures, according to the official voter guide.
The San Rafael Record candidate questionnaire was sent to Shirley Weber’s campaign. No response was received as of Oct. 23, 2026. The policy positions below are drawn from her public campaign website and public records, including her published candidate statement.
Weber’s campaign emphasizes voting access, election transparency and cybersecurity.
“I will continue to fight to make sure that nothing stands between you and the ballot box,” she says in her official candidate statement.
Candidate information
Party: Democratic.
Education: Weber earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, according to her official biography.
Background: Weber was born in Hope, Arkansas, to sharecroppers. Her family moved to California when she was 3, according to her official biography.
Family: Weber has two adult children and three grandchildren. She is the widow of Daniel Weber, a California judge, to whom she was married for 29 years, according to her official biography.
Experience and public service
Weber was sworn in as secretary of state on Jan. 29, 2021, and voters elected her to a full term in November 2022. She is California’s first Black secretary of state, according to her official biography.
Before becoming secretary of state, Weber served four terms in the California Assembly representing the San Diego-area 79th District. She chaired the Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee and led the California Legislative Black Caucus from 2018 to 2020.
Her earlier public service included serving as a member and chair of the San Diego Unified School District’s board.
Weber also spent 40 years on the faculty at San Diego State University, including several terms as chair of its Africana Studies Department.
On the issues
Voting access: Weber’s campaign platform calls for working with local election officials to protect and expand access to voting.
She supports voter outreach aimed at high school and college students and improved voter education for formerly incarcerated Californians, including people on parole.
Election transparency: Weber says she wants to improve access to information about elections, lobbyist registration and campaign finance so voters can make informed decisions.
Her campaign also identifies addressing delayed financial filings and enforcing rules consistently as priorities.
Cybersecurity: Weber’s campaign says she supports reviewing and upgrading the secretary of state’s cybersecurity policies to protect elections from interference.
Protecting voting rights: In her official candidate statement, Weber pledges to defend voting rights and ensure eligible Californians can participate regardless of their political views.
Endorsements
Current sources identify support for Weber from:
- California Democratic Party
- California Federation of Teachers
- SEIU California
These endorsements are listed in CalMatters’ 2026 election guide.
SEIU Local 1000 also lists Weber among its endorsed candidates.
This profile draws on Shirley Weber’s campaign website, her published candidate statement, official biographical information and current endorsement sources. Campaign positions are attributed to Weber; publication of a candidate statement in the official voter guide does not constitute state verification of its claims.
