Gale was appointed to fill a vacancy at Secretary of State in December 2000 by Governor Mike Johanns. He was elected Secretary of State in 2002, defeating his Democratic Party opponent, Jay Stoddard.
In December 2000, Gale was appointed as Secretary of State under Governor Mike Johanns' guidance. In 2002, Gale succeeded in being elected Secretary of State by defeating his Democratic Party challenger, Jay Stoddard.