The Republican Secretaries of State Committee (RSSC) announced on Thursday that Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill has been elected to serve as its chair for the 2020 cycle.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose will serve as vice chair. The RSSC is a caucus of the Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC).
Merrill was elected to the RSSC chairmanship by his 28 peers at this year’s annual National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) Winter Conference in Washington, D.C. In the summer of 2019, Merrill was also named to a NASS leadership role.
“At our meeting in Washington, we solidified our goals for the upcoming term and identified new ways in which we can better ourselves as Secretaries of State. Our chief objective is to protect the integrity and credibility of the elections process in every state,” Merrill said in a statement.
“Secretaries of state are charged with one of the most important responsibilities in our democratic republic: protecting the American elections process,” he added. “Our chief objective is to protect the integrity of our voters’ choices and the foundation of our great states. We must do all that we can to fairly elect secretaries that best serve the people they represent – that’s why I am committed to making sure Republicans are equipped to win across the country. It is an honor to lead the RSSC in this all-important election cycle, and I look forward to a successful year.”
RSLC leaders praised Merrill’s leadership. The RSLC is the largest caucus of GOP state leaders in the country, working to get Republicans elected to state legislatures and other offices.
“Our Republican secretaries of state are second to none,” stated RSLC president Austin Chambers. “Secretaries Merrill and LaRose are brilliant leaders who will play a key role in getting Republicans elected to secretary of state offices in every corner of the country. We are thankful for their willingness to lead and know they will have an enormous positive impact on this year’s elections.”
“If Republicans don’t win in the states, the future of our Party will be compromised for the next 10 years,” added RSLC chairman Bill McCollum. “That’s why we are fully committed to winning and protecting our secretaries of state. We have the right team in place to ensure success, and I am proud to work alongside Secretaries Merrill and LaRose to bring home big wins this cycle.”
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
