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 The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 181,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...

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 The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 37,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections ...

from 2009 to 2017.

Missouri House of Representatives

Hoskins was first elected to the

in 2008 to represent the 121st District. Hoskins was reelected in the 2010, 2012, and 2014 elections. Hoskins was term limited and ran for the Missouri Senate in the 2016 election.

Missouri Senate

Hoskins was elected to the

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. 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. 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.

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.

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.

Electoral history

State representative

State Senate

Secretary of State

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Hoskins, Denny L. 1974 births 21st-century members of the Missouri General Assembly Living people People from Warrensburg, Missouri Republican Party Missouri state senators Secretaries of state of Missouri