Denny Hoskins

Denny L. Hoskins is an American politician who is currently serving as the 41st Secretary of State of Missouri since 2025. He previously served as a member of the Missouri Senate for the 21st District until 2024. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected to the Senate in 2016. He previously served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2009 to 2017.^[1][2]

Denny Hoskins
41st Secretary of State of Missouri
Incumbent
Assumed office January 13, 2025
Governor	Mike Kehoe
Preceded by	Jay Ashcroft
Member of the Missouri Senate from the 21st district
In office January 4, 2017 – January 13, 2025
Preceded by	David Pearce
Succeeded by	Kurtis Gregory
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 54th district
In office January 9, 2013 – January 4, 2017
Preceded by	Jeanie Lauer
Succeeded by	Dan Houx
Member of the Missouri House of Representatives from the 121st district
In office January 3, 2009 – January 9, 2013
Preceded by	David Pearce
Succeeded by	Keith Frederick
Personal details
Born	(1974-10-10) October 10, 1974 (age 50) Jefferson City, Missouri, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Michelle Rogers
Children	5
Education	University of Central Missouri (BBA) University of Missouri, Columbia (MPA)

Missouri House of Representatives

Hoskins was first elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2008 to represent the 121st District.^[3][4] Hoskins was reelected in the 2010, 2012, and 2014 elections. Hoskins was term limited and ran for the Missouri Senate in the 2016 election.^[5][6]

Missouri Senate

Hoskins was elected to the Missouri Senate in the 2016 election to represent the 21st District. In the midst of Missouri facing a budget shortfall, one of Hoskins' first votes as a state senator was to vote for a pay increase for state legislators. Hoskins was one of only two senators to vote for the pay increase.^[7]

In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoskins called for a special session of the Missouri legislature to implement legislation to prevent private-sector companies from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for staff and customers.^[8]

Hoskins has filibustered sports betting legislation in Missouri that doesn't include language on video lottery terminals (VLTs). Adding his own sportsbook regulation bills, Hoskins sees VLTs in the same area that needs to become regulated and taxed.^[9]

Defamation lawsuit

In April 2024, Hoskins was sued for defamation by Denton Loudermill of Olathe, Kansas, after Hoskins shared an image on social media of Loudermill in handcuffs, falsely identifying him as an undocumented immigrant and as a shooter at the 2024 Kansas City parade shooting.^[10]

Missouri Secretary of State

In 2025, Hoskins suspended payments for library subscriptions to OverDrive, Inc., a supplier for digital audiobooks and ebooks, alleging the app gives minors access to inappropriate content.^[11]

Electoral history

State representative

Missouri House of Representatives Primary Election, August 5, 2008, District 121^[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Denny L. Hoskins	1,246	72.32%
	Republican	Steven R. Hedrick	477	27.68%

Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 4, 2008, District 121^[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Denny L. Hoskins	7,008	50.44%	−16.59
	Democratic	Jim Jackson	6,886	49.56%	+21.24

Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 2, 2010, District 121^[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Denny L. Hoskins	5,292	57.85%	+7.41
	Democratic	Courtney Cole	3,480	38.04%	−11.52
	Libertarian	Bill Wayne	376	4.11%	+4.11

Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 6, 2012, District 54^[15]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Denny Hoskins	9,342	62.01%	+4.16
	Democratic	Nancy Maxwell	4,511	29.95%	−8.09
	Independent	Eddie Osborne	1,211	8.04%	+8.04

Missouri House of Representatives Election, November 4, 2014, District 54^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Denny Hoskins	6,421	79.54%	+17.53
	Constitution	Daniel Piemons	1,652	20.46%	+20.46

State Senate

Missouri Senate Primary Election, August 2, 2016, District 21^[17]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Denny Hoskins	11,219	58.51%
	Republican	Mike McGhee	7,954	41.49%

Missouri Senate Election, November 8, 2016, District 21^[18]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Denny Hoskins	50,288	67.63	+2.50
	Democratic	ElGene Ver Dught	19,988	26.88	−3.39
	Libertarian	William Truman (Bill) Wayne	4,077	5.48	+0.88

Missouri Senate Election, November 3, 2020, District 21^[19]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Denny Hoskins	61,698	79.82	+12.19
	Libertarian	Mark Bliss	15,595	20.18	+14.70

Secretary of State

Missouri Secretary of State Primary Election, August 6, 2024^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Denny Hoskins	157,116	24.42
	Republican	Shane Schoeller	108,289	16.83
	Republican	Mike Carter	91,866	14.28
	Republican	Dean Plocher	86,659	13.47
	Republican	Mary Elizabeth Coleman	72,938	11.34
	Republican	Valentina Gomez	47,931	7.45
	Republican	Jamie Corley	46,314	7.20
	Republican	Adam Schwadron	32,335	5.03
Total votes			643,448	100.00

2024 Missouri Secretary of State election, November 5, 2024^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Denny Hoskins	1,677,902	57.66%	−2.93%
	Democratic	Barbara Phifer	1,154,090	39.66%	+3.38%
	Libertarian	Carl Freese	49,113	1.69%	−0.18%
	Green	Jerome Bauer	29,012	1.00%	+0.19%
Total votes			2,910,117	100.00%	N/A
	Republican hold