Laurel Lee tapped for leading post in nat’l Secretaries of State association

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 11/3/20-Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee talks about the progress of the general election during a news conference Tuesday morning in Tallahassee. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

Who serves as secretary to all secretaries?

Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee just won election as secretary for the National Association of Secretaries of State. That makes her one of 11 officers for the bipartisan organization. She will serve a one-year term.

“I am honored to have been elected to serve as a member of the executive board by my peers,” Lee said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues from across the country to continue to secure our nation’s elections, to effectively serve and promote businesses and corporations, and to support the many other programs and services led by Secretaries of State.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis picked Lee as Florida’s Secretary of State in January 2019, shortly after winning his election as Governor. Lee was actually DeSantis’ second pick after a blackface scandal forced Mike Ertel to resign shortly after he was appointed to the job.

Before her current role in DeSantis’ administration, Lee served as a Circuit Judge in Hillsborough County, a seat she had initially been appointed to by former Gov. Rick Scott. She previously worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Florida, and before that, as an assistant public defender in the same federal district.

Members of the NASS board were selected at the association’s summer conference, held last week in Des Moines, Iowa.

“I’m pleased to have Secretary Lee as Secretary of the NASS Executive Board,” said NASS President Kyle Ardoin. “I look forward to working with Secretary Lee over the next year and know that her sterling record as Secretary of State in the third-largest state will contribute to finding innovative solutions to the prevailing issues facing our states and nation in the coming years.”

Ardoin, a Republican like Lee, was elected as Louisiana Secretary of State in 2018 after succeeding a Secretary of State who also resigned because of scandal.