Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson Stepping Down After Three and a Half Years as Head of the Agency

AUSTIN - Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson today announced her plans to depart the agency effective Friday, July 17.

"It has been an honor to serve the people of Texas in this role," Secretary Nelson said. "My time as Secretary came at an important moment for Texas, and I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish as an agency in under four years."

"Secretary Jane Nelson has been a true champion for the people of Texas and an extraordinary Secretary of State," said Governor Greg Abbott. "I am deeply grateful for her long and loyal service and outstanding leadership. She has represented our state with grace and honor across the globe, and Texas is better because of it. Cecilia and I wish her all the best in the next chapter of her distinguished career."

As the state's chief elections official, Secretary Nelson presided over seven successful statewide elections with a cumulative 27 million ballots cast. She managed the disbursement of millions in grants to local counties to strengthen election integrity and received funding for a secure military ballot initiative that will roll out for the upcoming General Election.

"It has been my goal to ensure that voting in Texas is secure, accessible and fair," Secretary Nelson said. "We have worked extensively to ensure accurate voter rolls and to educate voters about what they need to know to vote with confidence."

During Secretary Nelson's tenure, Texas broke a record with more than 3 million active business filers. The agency processed millions of business filings and launched Texas Express, an expedited filing service allowing businesses access to same-day and next-day filing options.

"Texas has no equal when it comes to having the nation's most hospitable business climate, and we have worked to ensure that our business filings section moves at the speed of business," Secretary Nelson said.

The Senate voted 31-0 to confirm Secretary Nelson on March 15, 2023, making her the first Secretary to receive Senate confirmation since 2017.

Nelson's service as Secretary follows a 30-year career in the Texas Senate where she remains the longest-serving Republican in state history and the first woman to chair the powerful Senate Finance Committee.

Her legacy to the agency includes securing funding to renovate the James Earl Rudder Building; modernizing the Texas Register; replacing legacy IT systems for business filings; digitizing millions of paper documents; and beginning the process of overhauling of the agency website which has not been fully updated in more than 20 years.

In her role as chief protocol officer for the state, Secretary Nelson participated in more than 200 engagements with international dignitaries and representatives and participated in six trade missions to Asia, Europe and Canada. She met with governors and mayors from every Mexican state that borders Texas.

"Representing Texas on the world stage has been a tremendous honor, and it has been incredibly special to Texas' continued rise in prominence as the nation's premiere state for doing business," Secretary Nelson said. "Texas is thriving, and the world is taking notice."

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