Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum talks about Proposal 2 in Lansing, Jan. 24, 2023. (Ward Beard/Michigan Advance)

Barb Byrum will seek the Michigan Democratic Party nomination for secretary of state in 2026, she announced Wednesday.

As Ingham County Clerk for the last decade, Byrum has overseen 40 elections and several recounts. She made a name for herself nationally in 2014 when the Obergefell v. Hodges case — which eventually legalized same-sex marriage nationwide — was on appeal, and allowed a short window for states to recognize those marriages for the first time before the case was finalized. Byrum opened her office to those couples and performed one of the first same-sex marriage ceremonies in the state.

Byrum also served in the Michigan House of Representatives for six years before being elected to as the Ingham County clerk in 2012, and previously owned and operated an Ace Hardware store in Charlotte for nearly 20 years.

“I’m running for Secretary of State because I believe elections should be fair, secure and accessible for voters today and in future generations, and that Michiganders deserve an exceptional customer service experience at every Secretary of State office,” Byrum said in a statement. “For more than 20 years, I’ve served the public as a state legislator and as a County Clerk, and I’d be honored to continue serving the people of Michigan as the next Secretary of State.”

Byrum is a longtime advocate for voters’ rights and routinely uses her social media pages to explain complex election matters, especially in the wake of the 2020 election, when Republicans refused to accept the results of the presidential contest and fomented numerous unfounded election conspiracies.

In a news release announcing her campaign, Byrum said election officials like herself take pride in ensuring Michigan’s elections are secure and that every qualified voter has a chance to have their voice heard.

“I fight back against those who would seek to make it harder to vote and those who attack our democratic process because our democracy is worth fighting for,” Byrum said. “As Michigan’s next Secretary of State, I will ensure that Michigan will continue to run free, fair and secure elections, as we have these many years.”

Her announcement also came with an endorsement from fellow Democratic Genesee County Clerk-Register Domonique Clemons, who called Byrum “a leader among the clerk community and knows elections backwards and forwards.”

“She is the go-to expert for new clerks when they need assistance, and is always ready to support,” Clemons said in a statement. “Barb is a vocal advocate for voter rights and election integrity. She is steadfast in defending democracy against those who try to undermine our election process.”

Michigan campaign finance reporting documents show Byrum formed her candidate committee on May 15. The Michigan Transparency Network campaign finance system shows she requested a reporting waiver, which typically means candidates plan to raise and spend less than $1,000 in the election cycle, but that appears to be an error in the system and has yet to be updated at the campaign committee’s request.

The MiTN system has been plagued with issues and was the subject of a fiery joint meeting on Tuesday of the House Oversight Committee and the House Appropriations General Government Subcommittee.

At present, Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie is the only other name in the race on the Democratic side.

Michigan’s political parties nominate candidates for secretary of state and attorney general and do not participate in the primary process. Michigan Democrats will nominate a candidate for secretary of state at their state party convention in the spring of 2026.

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