Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson is stepping down. She says she made the decision “so I can focus on my health and my family.”
Lawson is the longest-serving Secretary of State in Indiana’s history. She was appointed nine years ago, and served through the administrations of Governors Mitch Daniels, Mike Pence and Eric Holcomb.
Lawson says she will submit a formal resignation to Governor Holcomb once he has chosen her successor.
In a statement, the governor called Lawson “Indiana’s own Iron Lady,” saying she “has long defined what true public service and leadership is and ought to be all about. Throughout her time in county, legislative and statewide office, she set the standard for commitment, composure, class and credibility.”
“I’ll forever count myself fortunate and proud to say, ‘I served with Connie Lawson.’ And, while she’ll no longer be just down the hall from my Statehouse office, I know that she will continue to be a trusted advisor and great friend.”
The Secretary of State’s office issued a statement which reads in part:
As Indiana’s chief elections officer, she focused on ensuring the integrity and security of our state’s elections. She championed sweeping election reforms and led the effort to clean Indiana’s voter rolls. Thanks to her efforts, all Indiana counties now have access to cybersecurity tools to protect not only elections, but every county and the entire state from adversaries who seek to destroy our republic.
A tireless advocate for increasing Indiana’s financial literacy and protecting Indiana investors, Secretary Lawson educated Hoosiers about smart money decisions and fought for stringent penalties for white collar criminals.
She directed substantial innovation and leveraged cutting edge technology to improve how businesses interact with government by leading the charge on the state’s business one-stop portal.
INBiz is now a nationally recognized portal that serves as businesses’ single point of contact for registration, filing, reporting and making payments across state agencies.
