Gov. Daniels selects state senator Connie Lawson as secretary of state

Gov. Mitch Daniels selected Connie Lawson, a state senator since 1996, as Indiana’s new secretary of state Friday.

Lawson, who was sworn in at the Statehouse in Indianapolis, replaces former Secretary of State Charlie White. White was removed from office and found guilty of six felonies, including voter fraud.

“I don’t know when I’ve felt so good or confident about a decision as the appointment this morning of Senator Connie Lawson as Indiana’s new secretary of state,” Daniels said during the swearing-in ceremony. “I doubt the state has ever been served by someone better prepared for her duties than Connie will be.”

Lawson was selected following a 5-0 decision made by the Indiana Supreme Court on March 15 determining that Daniels had authority to replace White with a fellow Republican.

The Supreme Court decision overruled a trial court decision allowing Democrats to take the state’s third ranking position. The Indiana Democratic Party argued that White should have been considered ineligible to run for Secretary of State because he was improperly registered to vote.

Therefore, Democrats believed their candidate, Vop Osili, who lost to White by more than 300,000 votes in the 2010 general election, should replace White.

But the state’s highest court ruled the challenge made by the Indiana Democratic Party came too late.

The opinion of the court also said it was unwilling to go against the will of the voters.

“It is likely that the average voter was aware that there were concerns about White‘s voter registration history at the time of the election, but we will not, on the basis of the present petition, judicially disenfranchise voters who went to the polls aware of what were at that moment only allegations,” the court opinion stated.

The Supreme Court focused on how Democrats waited until after the election to challenge White’s candidacy through the Indiana Recount Commission. This wait, the court ruled, was unnecessary.

“None of the filings at issue — not White‘s voter registration, not the Certificate of Nomination, nor White‘s Declaration of Candidacy — were confidential or sealed,” according to the opinion. “In fact, the discrepancy was discovered by a private citizen, presumably acting without the aid or benefit of a statewide party‘s resources and experience, and the Democratic Party has pointed us to nothing in their briefs to demonstrate the impossibility of their discovering White‘s registration issues at an earlier date.”

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said in a statement that the Supreme Court’s resolution brings closure to a case with many troublesome aspects.

“This ends a sad, sad chapter, and I look forward to working with the new officeholder in restoring the public’s confidence in the Office of Secretary of State,” Zoeller said in the statement.

Lawson will be the secretary of state until White’s term ends. During the ceremony Friday, she said it is too early to decide if she will run in 2014. However, she indicated that was a possibility.

“Sure, I considered other names, but Connie’s was the first name I thought of,” Daniels said. “There was never really a rival. Just look at her credentials for this job. Look at her reputation for legislative integrity.”

Lawson has served as the majority floor leader of the Indiana Senate since 1996. Until her appointment as Secretary of State, she was chair of the local government and joint rules committees.

During this year’s legislative session, Lawson authored a bill aiming to reduce nepotism and conflict of interest.

“This new opportunity to serve all Hoosiers, Republicans and Democrats across the state, is an opportunity I take very seriously,” Lawson said. “Over the next few weeks, we will work together to assess the current systems, policies and procedures and will move quickly to make any improvements and strengthen the office.”