Connie Lawson to resign as secretary of state
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson announced Monday that she will step down as Secretary of State.
A Danville resident, Lawson spent 16 years as an Indiana state senator serving the District 24, a role in which she represented the northern half of Putnam County.
Lawson notified Gov. Eric Holcomb and will submit a formal resignation once Holcomb selects her successor and the successor is ready to serve.
“I have dedicated the last 32 years of my life to public service,” Lawson said. “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.
“Like many Hoosiers, 2020 took a toll on me. I am resigning so I can focus on my health and my family. I will work with Gov. Holcomb to ensure our next secretary of state is up to the task and has the tools and resources to hit the ground running.”
Lawson was first appointed secretary of state on March 16, 2012 by then Gov. Mitch Daniels. She successfully ran for election in 2014 and 2018. She is the longest-serving secretary of state in Indiana history and the 61st Hoosier to serve in the role.
As Indiana’s chief elections officer, she focused on ensuring the integrity and security of the state’s elections. She championed election reforms and led the effort to clean Indiana’s voter rolls. All Indiana counties now have access to cybersecurity tools to protect not only elections, but every county and the entire state from security breaches.
An advocate for increasing Indiana’s financial literacy and protecting Indiana investors, 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.
Prior to serving as secretary of state, Lawson served in the Indiana Senate for 16 years. Respected across the aisle, she quickly earned the admiration of her colleagues and made history in 2006 when she was selected as the first woman to serve as majority floor leader in the Indiana Senate.
Before joining the senate, Lawson served as clerk of the Hendricks County Circuit Court for eight years. During her tenure, she was named elections administrator of the year by the Indiana State Election Board and clerk of the year by the Indiana Clerk’s Association, both in 1993.
In addition to her public work, she and her husband Jack own Lawson & Company, an auctioneer and real estate company.