Texas is preparing for a change in its top elections post after Secretary of State Jane Nelson said she will resign July 17. State Rep. Nate Schatzline has been widely discussed as a potential successor, though Gov. Greg Abbott has not announced an appointment.
Texas is poised to get a new secretary of state after Jane Nelson said she will step down from the role on July 17, leaving Gov. Greg Abbott to name a replacement.
In Texas, the secretary of state is appointed by the governor, with the state Senate responsible for confirmation. With Nelson’s departure coming months before the November 2026 general election, local election officials say they are watching closely to see who Abbott selects.
State Rep. Nate Schatzline, a 34-year-old Republican lawmaker and pastor, has been repeatedly mentioned in recent weeks as a likely pick, according to reporting by NPR. Abbott’s office has not confirmed a choice, and a spokesperson told NPR only that an announcement would come later.
Chris McGinn, executive director of the Texas Association of County Election Officials, told NPR he had not heard another name being seriously floated. McGinn also drafted an analysis for association members that said Schatzline would represent a more ideological, enforcement-oriented approach than recent secretaries of state.
NPR reported that Schatzline has no election administration experience and that he has echoed former President Donald Trump’s false claims of widespread election fraud. NPR also reported that Schatzline authored or co-authored at least five election-related bills during the 2025–26 legislative session.
Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas, told NPR that the timing is unusual because it comes close to a federal election and after the Texas Legislature has adjourned its regular session. Gutierrez said that dynamic could allow an appointee to serve through the 2026 election cycle with less immediate oversight until lawmakers return and consider a permanent confirmation.
