State CIO 2026 Priorities Playbook

For the 20th year, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has published its State CIO Top 10 Priorities, offering a clear view of how state technology leaders are responding to evolving demands. The 2026 priorities reflect both continuity and change: artificial intelligence rises to the top for the first time, cybersecurity remains foundational, and attention continues to focus on accessibility, cost pressures, and optimization. 

Most state CIOs are already familiar with this list. The harder question is what it means in practice — how these priorities show up in day-to-day decisions, how they intersect, and how agencies sequence progress without overextending people, budgets, or systems. 

This playbook is designed to support that next step. Drawing on Tyler Technologies’ experience working alongside state governments nationwide, it pairs practical recommendations with real-world examples from agencies making measurable progress. The goal is not to prescribe a single path forward, but to provide clear, grounded insight leaders can adapt to their own context.