Mark Ritchie -- Minnesota. Mark emerged as a national leader on voting rights issues in 2004 when he headed the National Voice Coalition. This nonpartisan Get Out the Vote campaign that coordinated the work of over 1000 groups nationwide and resulted in 5 million new registered voters. Mark is a champion in the fight against voter suppression, and is an ardent proponent of a voter verified paper trail. As Secretary of State, he will be a leader in removing unfair and discriminatory barriers to civic participation.