COLUMBUS, Ind. — Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps congratulated Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson on her “honorable service” after she announced her resignation on Monday but said he is not seeking to be her successor.
Lawson announced Monday that she is resigning with nearly two years left in her term as secretary of state, The Associated Press reported.
The 71-year-old Republican didn’t give a specific reason, saying in a statement that 2020 took a toll on her and that she was stepping down to “focus on my health and my family.”
“Like many Hoosiers, 2020 took a toll on me,” Lawson said. “I have dedicated the last 32 years of my life to public service. I have served with all of my heart and soul. It has been an honor to serve, but it is time for me to step down.”
Lawson said she would leave office once Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb has picked her replacement. Lawson’s current term runs until January 2023.
Phelps, 31, who also serves as president of the Indiana Clerks Association, said he worked with Lawson “countless times to get meaningful election reform passed through the Indiana General Assembly” and is looking forward to working with whoever Holcomb selects as Lawson’s replacement.
“I am humbled by the number of phone calls and text messages I have received upon Secretary Lawson’s resignation this morning, asking me to place my name into consideration to be Indiana’s next Secretary of State,” Phelps said. “While I appreciate the support and the kind words I have received, I will not be submitting an application to Governor Holcomb for this role. I trust the governor will pick a top-notch Secretary of State, who will raise the bar and continue to put Indiana on the map for election administration and voting security.”
Lawson has been Indiana’s top elections officer for almost nine years, according to wire reports. She was first appointed to the office in 2012 after then-Secretary of State Charlie White was removed from office following his conviction on voter fraud charges stemming from his 2010 campaign.
Lawson was then elected to her own four-year terms in 2014 and 2018, according to wire reports. She wasn’t eligible to run again because of term limits. Lawson previously was a state senator for 16 years, including time as the Senate majority leader, and as the Hendricks County clerk.
As Indiana’s chief elections officer, Lawson advocated for election changes surrounding cybersecurity, as well as improvements to the state’s online portal for registering and managing businesses.
Shortly after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Lawson’s decision to allow no-excuse mail-in voting in the spring primary was supported by Holcomb and other Republican state leaders, according to wire reports. She resisted appeals from Democrats and voting rights groups to lift the ballot limits for the November election, however.
“Secretary Lawson has served Hoosiers honorably and faithfully since 2012,” Phelps said. “Being a former clerk, Secretary Lawson understood the demands and challenges that Indiana clerks faced each day. Secretary Lawson always listened to our concerns, and we worked together countless times to get meaningful election reform passed through the Indiana General Assembly.”
