Longtime State Senator Jane Nelson was nominated to serve as the Texas Secretary of State by Gov. Greg Abbott Tuesday.
Nelson, R-Flower Mound, will take the helm following Monday鈥檚 resignation by current secretary John Scott. Scott, who was appointed to the post in late 2021, told Abbott he will return to his private law practice after the holidays.
Nelson is a 30-year veteran of the Texas legislature who most recently served as the chair of the upper chamber鈥檚 finance committee, which writes the state鈥檚 biennial budget.
鈥淚 appreciate the confidence has placed in me to serve as ,鈥� Nelson tweeted. 鈥淰oters expect fair elections with accurate, timely results, and I am committed to making that happen. Texans with all political views should have faith in our election system."
In his announcement, Abbott praised Nelson鈥檚 experience and leadership.
鈥淪enator Nelson鈥檚 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,鈥� he said. 鈥淣othing is more important to a free society than fair elections, and the State of Texas will continue working to uphold and protect this right.鈥�
Prior to her election to the state senate, Nelson served on the State Board of Education.
During his short tenure, Scott oversaw an audit of the 2020 elections in Collin, Dallas, Harris and Tarrant counties that Abbott requested. Results of the of the audit were released a year ago and found no evidence of widespread fraud, the Texas Tribune reported. Scott said in his letter the final results will be released 鈥渟oon鈥� but did not specify a date.
四虎影院 is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
Got a tip? Email Juli谩n Aguilar at jaguilar@kera.org.You can follow Juli谩n on Twitter @nachoaguilar