SANTA FE – Today, the Office of the Secretary of State announces that Secretary of State elect Maggie Toulouse Oliver will take the oath of office on December 9, 2016, at 4:00 pm in Santa Fe and will immediately assume the office. Current Secretary of State Brad Winter has served since he was appointed by Governor Susana Martinez on December 15, 2015, due to the resignation of Dianna Duran.
“I want to thank Governor Martinez for giving me the opportunity to serve the Office of Secretary of State and the State of New Mexico,” said Secretary Winter. “I hope I made a positive difference during my short time. Some of the accomplishments that were made include online voter registration, expanded online services in our corporations bureau, a more transparent campaign reporting system and a successful primary and general election. I want to thank the staff of the Secretary of State’s office for their hard work and professionalism in serving all citizens of New Mexico as well as my deep appreciation and respect for the county clerks for all the work they do.”
“Secretary of State Winter oversaw the fair electoral process that New Mexicans expect and deserve,” Governor Martinez said. “I’m grateful for his willingness to serve, and appreciate the integrity and dedication he brought to the job every single day.”
Secretary Winter was appointed by Governor Martinez in accordance with Article V, Section 5 of the New Mexico Constitution, which provides that “…[s]hould a vacancy occur in any state office…the governor shall fill such office by appointment, and such appointee shall hold office until the next general election, when his successor shall be chosen for the unexpired term.” On November 8, 2016, Secretary elect Toulouse Oliver won the general election to fill the unexpired term, which ends on December 31, 2018.
“Thank you to the people of New Mexico for placing their faith and trust in me,” said Secretary elect Toulouse Oliver. “Now begins the hard work of enacting important reforms that will strengthen transparency and accountability at all levels of government and ensure trust in our political process.”
For more information regarding the duties of the Office of Secretary of State, please visit the Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.state.nm.us.