Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Robert S. Howden as the Texas’ interim secretary of state (SOS), which was effective on Saturday.
Howden is a longtime Republican politician who has worked for GOP governors going back to Bill Clements and acted as Abbott’s legislative director since 2024. He has also been serving Abbott as a senior advisor and liaison for the Texas Border and Mexican affairs and as chief international protocol officer for Texas.
In his new position as SOS, Howden will serve as chief election officer for Texas, assisting county election officials and ensuring uniform applications and interpretations of election law. The office also provides a repository for official business and commercial records that re-quire filing.
Howden is replacing Jane Nelson, who resigned from her position after three and a half years. Her decision was announced in early June and immediately led to speculation on why she was leaving and would replace her ahead of the November midterm elections.
Nelson has yet to comment on her departure, other than to say that she worked hard “to ensure that voting in Texas is secure, accessible and fair.”
Nelson was the longestserving Republican woman in the Texas Senate, as well as the first woman to lead the Senate Finance Committee. She had presided over seven statewide elections and disbursed millions in grants to county election officials, with Abbott praising her as an “extraordinary” secretary of state.
However, she reportedly clashed with GOP leadership when they filed a lawsuit earlier this year arguing their legal right to close their primaries, requiring voters to register with the party to be able to vote.
Howden will now serve in Nelson’s position until January, when he will need confirmation by the Texas Senate.
Some claim Howden’s role as chief elections officer for a state with such heavy political emphasis on election integrity and the threat of voter fraud will put added strain on his position, as it did for Nelson, who faced competing demands from the Trump DOD, state leaders, county elections officials and voting rights groups.
In a press release from his office, Abbott stated that he had full confidence that [Howden] will excel as Secretary of State and “his experience in the legislative process and extensive public service have prepared him to protect the integrity of Texas elections and represent our state with strength on the global stage. Texas will benefit from his distinguished leadership.”