The Secretary of State of Florida is an executive officer of the
state government
A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or ...
of the
U.S. state of
Florida, established since the original 1838
state constitution.
Like the corresponding officials in other states, the original charge of the secretary of state—to be the "Keeper of the
Great Seal"—has expanded greatly since the office was first created. According to the state website, "Today, the Secretary of State is Florida's Chief of Elections, Chief Cultural Officer, the State
Protocol Officer and the head of the Department of State."
The current secretary is
Cord Byrd
Cord Byrd (born April 19, 1971) is an American attorney and Republican Party (United States), Republican politician serving as the Secretary of State of Florida, secretary of state of Florida. Previously, he was a member of the Florida House of Re ...
.
History
During the territorial period of Florida, the secretary of the territory was one of two major appointed positions within the executive department of the territory. Like the governor, the secretary was originally appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by Congress. The job of the secretary was similar to that of a modern-day
lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
, assuming administrative responsibilities of the territory in the absence of the governor. For example, the first secretary of the territory
George Walton
George Walton (c. 1749 – February 2, 1804), a Founding Father of the United States, signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia and also served as the second chief executive of Georgia.
Early life
Wal ...
served as Acting Governor of the Territory until
William P. Duval
William Pope Duval (September 4, 1784 – March 19, 1854) was the first civilian governor of the Florida Territory, succeeding Andrew Jackson, who had been a military governor. In his twelve-year governorship, from 1822 to 1834, he divided Flori ...
assumed office later that year. Walton was the first civilian to act in this capacity following the American acquisition of Florida.
The modern-day Department of State and the position of Secretary of State dates to 1845, when Florida achieved statehood. The secretary of state of Florida was elected by the people of the state in a
general election
A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
. In 1998, constitutional changes removed the secretary of state from the elected
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
of the executive branch. That year,
Katherine Harris
Katherine Harris (born April 5, 1957) is a former American politician. A Republican, Harris served in the Florida Senate from 1994 to 1998, as Secretary of State of Florida from 1999 to 2002, and as a member of the United States House of Represe ...
won the last election for secretary of state and since 2002, the secretary of state of Florida has been appointed by the
governor.
List of secretaries of the Territory of Florida
List of secretaries of the State of Florida
See also
*
List of company registers
References
External links
History of the Office of Secretary of State of Florida
{{Secretaries of State of Florida
1838 establishments in Florida Territory