Texas Secretary of State John B. Scott said on Monday that he’ll vacate the office effective at the end of this year, per reports from Austin-based media outlets.
The announcement comes more than a year after Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Scott to succeed Ruth R. Hughs as the state’s elections chief.
Austin NBC affiliate KXAN reported that Scott plans to return to his private legal practice immediately after his resignation goes in effect.
Though he held the position for a year, KXAN reported, he presided over four statewide elections, including last month’s general election that saw the reelection of Abbott to a third term.
The Scott-led Texas Secretary of State's Office (SOS) also conducted a forensic audit of Texas’ 2020 election results, according to the station.
Scott said in his resignation letter addressing the governor that he saw his soon-to-be former post as “no small task.”
“I approached my duty with humility, patience and an open mind,” he wrote in the correspondence, KXAN reported. “By listening directly to the concerns of local election officials, voters and grassroots activists from across the political spectrum, I was able to understand how to better educate Texas voters about their most sacred civic duty. I also gained a deep appreciation for the difficult, meticulous and often thankless work of local election officials in safeguarding the integrity of the ballot box.”
Scott further expressed pride in “the tremendous progress” the Lone Star State made when it came to conducting its elections.
According to Austin ABC affiliate KVUE, one of the secretary’s key responsibilities is to ensure election laws are adhered to uniformly.
The secretary’s other roles include senior advisor and liaison to the governor for "Texas Border and Mexican Affairs" and chief international protocol officer for the state, KVUE reported.
Abbott hasn’t named a successor to Scott nor specified a date as to when he’ll do so, the report said.