Donald P. “Don” Wagner (born December 3, 1960, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American attorney, Republican politician, and Orange County official currently serving as a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors representing the 3rd District — covering Anaheim Hills, Irvine, Lake Forest, North Tustin, Orange, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Villa Park, and Yorba Linda. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors and is running as the Republican candidate for California Secretary of State in the June 2, 2026 primary against incumbent Shirley Weber. His campaign is co-chaired by former Republican Secretaries of State Bill Jones (1995–2003) and Bruce McPherson (2005–2007).
Wagner was born in Pittsburgh and later moved to California. He earned a B.A. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings. He practiced law for over 30 years and served as a Judge Pro Tempore in the Orange County Superior Court. He was first elected in 1998 to the South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees, serving three consecutive terms including six years as Board President, balancing every budget and paying off all debts without raising taxes. He subsequently served in the California State Assembly representing the 70th and then 68th districts from 2010 to 2016, where he served on the Budget, Health, Education, and Revenue and Taxation committees and was Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee.
Wagner served as Mayor of Irvine from December 2016 to March 2019, during which he oversaw completion of the Irvine Great Park project after what he characterized as years of mismanagement under prior leadership. He was elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors in a 2019 special election, defeating Democrat Loretta Sanchez, and was subsequently re-elected in 2020 and again in 2024. He announced his candidacy for California Secretary of State in July 2025, making him the first major Republican to enter the race.
Endorsements
California Republican Party, Reform California, California Republican Assembly, former California Secretary of State Bill Jones, former California Secretary of State Bruce McPherson (Independent), and a network of Orange County Republican officials and business leaders. A full list is available on his campaign website.
Reputation/Scandals/Successes
Core Strengths and Positive Reputation
- Deep and Varied Government Experience: Wagner brings a résumé spanning nearly three decades of elected public service — community college trustee, state assemblymember, city mayor, and county supervisor — giving him broad familiarity with local, county, and state government operations. His legal background (30+ years as a practicing attorney and service as a Superior Court Judge Pro Tempore) is particularly relevant to the Secretary of State’s role overseeing election law, business filings, and campaign finance compliance.
- Election Integrity Platform Resonates With Republican Base: Wagner’s core campaign message — faster ballot counting, mandatory voter ID, cleaner voter rolls, and modernizing the business filing system — reflects the top priorities of California Republican and independent voters who are skeptical of the state’s election administration. His endorsement by two former Republican Secretaries of State (Jones and McPherson) lends institutional credibility to his candidacy within the GOP.
- Voter ID Initiative Alignment: Wagner has pledged to implement a Voter ID requirement if California voters approve the initiative on the November 2026 ballot — aligning him with a policy supported by a majority of voters nationally and positioning him as the candidate of choice for Californians who believe voter identification is a reasonable and necessary safeguard. He fully endorsed the California Voter ID initiative and pledged to uphold and implement it should voters adopt it.
- Fiscal and Operational Track Record: At every level of office — college district, city, and county — Wagner has emphasized fiscal discipline and operational efficiency without raising taxes. His supporters argue this orientation is exactly what the Secretary of State’s business filing and election administration operations need after years of what they characterize as bureaucratic inertia under Democratic leadership.
Criticisms and Vulnerabilities
- Pushed to Share Sensitive Voter Data With Trump DOJ: As supervisor, Wagner pushed for the release of sensitive voter information to President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice over claims of voting irregularities. Critics — including voting rights organizations, privacy advocates, and California’s Democratic officials — argued that sharing partial Social Security numbers, driver’s license IDs, and birth dates with federal investigators represented a serious threat to voter privacy and a capitulation to what courts in multiple states found to be overbroad, politically motivated data requests. Federal judges have so far blocked the DOJ’s voter data demands in state after state, including against California.
- Voter ID Opposition in California’s Legal and Political Context: Wagner’s signature voter ID proposal faces significant structural obstacles: California’s universal vote-by-mail system makes traditional polling-place ID requirements difficult to implement, and voting rights researchers have consistently documented that strict voter ID laws disproportionately burden low-income voters, voters of color, elderly voters, and voters with disabilities — the same communities the Secretary of State’s office is charged with helping to participate. Critics argue that Wagner’s voter ID platform is designed to suppress participation, not protect it.
- COVID-19 Criticism and DEI Opposition: As supervisor, Wagner criticized the state’s COVID-19 response and questioned the county’s investment in diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. These positions — which aligned with national Republican messaging during the pandemic and culture-war debates — are likely to be used by Democratic opponents to characterize him as outside the California mainstream on public health and equal opportunity.
- Steep Structural Disadvantage in California: No Republican has won a California statewide constitutional office since 2006. Weber won her 2022 race with over 60% of the vote. Democrats outnumber Republicans among registered California voters by more than 2 to 1. While Wagner’s path to the top-two primary runoff is virtually assured given the field composition, most analysts rate the November general election as Safe Democratic regardless of the Republican nominee’s credentials.
- Key Platform Items Require Legislative Action, Not Unilateral Authority: Several of Wagner’s signature proposals — rolling back universal vote-by-mail, speeding up certification deadlines, and implementing voter ID — would require acts of the state legislature, not just action by the Secretary of State. Critics argue his campaign overstates the office’s authority to deliver on his core promises, raising questions about whether his platform is a governing agenda or primarily a political statement.
Campaign Contributors
Wagner launched his campaign with support from Orange County Republican donors and business community contributors along with Sheriff and Firefighter PACs. Full contributor details are available at Transparency USA.
Media Coverage
CalMatters Voter Guide – Secretary of State
CalMatters: California’s Race for Secretary of State Shows Partisan Divide Over How to Count Ballots
LAist: Secretary of State — Who’s Running and Why It Matters
KPBS: 2026 Primary Election — Secretary of State Race Explainer
Orange County Register: OC Supervisor Don Wagner Wants California Secretary of State as Next Job
New Santa Ana: OC Supervisor Don Wagner Launches Campaign for California Secretary of State
