Governor Greg Abbott accepted the resignation of Texas Secretary of State John Scott and announced his intent to appoint Senator Jane Nelson to fill the role as the 115th Secretary of State for Texas. Scott has served as Secretary of State since October 2021. Senator Nelson did not run for re-election after serving 30 years in the Texas Senate, including serving as Chair of the Senate Finance Committee since 2014.
The Secretary serves as Chief Election Officer for Texas. The Office of the Secretary of State also provides a repository for official business and commercial records required to be filed with the Office. The Secretary publishes government rules and regulations and commissions notaries public. The Secretary also serves as keeper of the state seal and attestor to the Governor’s signature on official documents.
The Secretary also serves as senior advisor and liaison to the Governor for Texas Border and Mexican Affairs and serves as Chief International Protocol Officer for Texas.