Governor Greg Abbott announced that he intends to appoint Senator Jane Nelson as the 115th Secretary of State for Texas. The announcement comes after Secretary Scott's resignation.
Scott served as the Texas Secretary of State since October 28, 2021. During his time in the role, Scott had focused on renewing the confidence of Texas voters in the security of the state's election systems. The resignation letter from Secretary Scott says that he will exit the role on December 31, 2022.
"I am proud to say that Texas has made tremendous progress in restoring faith in our elections over the past year, and that the Texas Secretary of State's office has developed a successful framework for analyzing and transparently reporting on election security through the forensic election audit process," Scott said in his resignation letter.
After serving more than a year as Secretary of State, Scott says that he made the decision to leave the role because he wanted to return to his former legal profession.
"With a successful 2022 General Election in the rear view mirror, and the final findings of the 2020 Texas forensic audit soon to be released, I write to inform you that I intend to return to my private law practice at the beginning of the New Year," Scott said.
Senator Jane Nelson is set to take over the role following a decision not to run for re-election in the Texas Senate. Nelson had served as senator for 30 years, which included serving as the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee since 2014, the longest tenure in the history of the role.
Prior to her time in the Texas Senate, Nelson was formerly a teacher and had served two terms as a member of the State Board of Education.
Her list of accomplishments also includes starting the Cancer Research and Prevention Institute of Texas, passing over 30 bills to protect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking, overhauling the foster care system and much more.
Governor Abbott says that he is grateful for all of Secretary Scott's accomplishments throughout his time as Secretary of State and that Senator Nelson's list of experiences and accolades will make her more than qualified for such an important role.
“I thank Secretary Scott for his tireless work educating Texas voters how they can participate in the electoral process and safeguarding the integrity of our state’s elections," Abbott said. "Senator Nelson’s lifelong commitment to public service and deep understanding of state government will be assets in her new role ensuring the critical duties of Secretary of State are fulfilled. Nothing is more important to a free society than fair elections, and the State of Texas will continue working to uphold and protect this right.”
