Denny Hoskins wins race to become Missouri’s next secretary of state

Republican state Sen. Denny Hoskins will be Missouri’s next chief election official, defeating Democratic state Rep. Barbara Phifer.

With all precincts reporting, the final, unofficial tally showed Hoskins defeated Phifer 58% to 40%.

“The right to vote is fundamental,” Hoskins said, “and I will work hard to ensure voters know that their ballots are safe and that our elections are secure.”

Hoskins, a certified public accountant and former member of the Army National Guard, has been running with promises of “election integrity” and “protecting children.”

During the campaign, he advocated for a switch to hand-counted ballots, eliminating voting machines. The idea has been criticized by local election officials and researchers.

Hoskins would like to audit voter rolls, hoping to eliminate ineligible voters. He also seeks to restrict early voting to those who are disabled or serve in the military, and he would like Election Day to be a holiday to make it easier to get to the polls that day.

He also promises to withhold state funding from libraries with “X-rated material in the kids section” or that host events with drag performers.

The secretary of state does not control state funds but oversees library certification. A rule proposed by the office in 2022 sought to revoke certification from libraries that shelve books believed to be “age inappropriate” in sections for children. Librarians called the rule unnecessary and burdensome, as reported by KCUR.

Hoskins isn’t new to backlash. He is a member of the Missouri Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative lawmakers vetted by organizers, which disrupted the Missouri Senate and created three factions in the chamber.

In April, Hoskins and two other members of the caucus were sued for defamation after they incorrectly labeled a Kansas man as an undocumented immigrant and the shooter at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory celebration.

Hoskins, who is represented by a Missouri Attorney General’s Office litigator, filed a motion to dismiss the case in June, citing a lack of jurisdiction in Kansas. There have been no updates since.

Missouri Right to Life gave Hoskins the sole endorsement in the secretary of state race primary, which included other seasoned lawmakers.

He also received the endorsement of Mike Lindell, inventor and CEO of MyPillow and election conspiracist. Lindell is also the subject of defamation lawsuits, with voting machine companies suing over claims of fraud in the 2020 election.