© 2024 Texas Public Radio
Real. Reliable. Texas Public Radio.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Governor Perry Appoints San Antonio Attorney As 108th Secretary Of State

State of Texas

Today the governor announced his appointment of San Antonio attorney John Steen as the new Texas Secretary of State, days after former Secretary Hope Andrade suddenly announced her resignation last week.

As secretary, Steen will oversee the state’s business records, voter rolls, border relations, and attest to signatures made by the governor. Steen previously served on the Texas Public Utility Commission, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the Fiesta San Antonio Commission as past president, and is a fellow of both the San Antonio and Texas Bar Associations.

Steen was quoted as saying he will make it his highest priority to preserve Texas Elections.

The most recent secretary, Esparanza “Hope” Andrade, was appointed in 2008 and is the first Latina Secretary of State in Texas; Andrade officially resigned on Friday. During her tenure, Texas voter registration reached an all-time high of 13.6 million before the general election this year.

Andrade’s resignation comes shortly after being criticized on purging deceased voters from the rolls before the election.

Joey Palacios can be reached atJoey@TPR.org and on Twitter at @Joeycules