After US Citizenship Flub, Texas Governor Names Ruth Ruggero Hughs As New Election Chief
AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Texas Governor Greg Abbott has appointed a new secretary of state after his previous elections chief resigned amid backlash for wrongly questioning the U.S. citizenship of tens of thousands of voters.
Calling her a "proven leader" who had previously "done a tremendous job", the Republican governor announced that he appointed Ruth Hughs to serve as Texas' new secretary of state. Hughs has served as the chair for the Texas Workforce Commission since last year.
Democrats blocked a vote on former Secretary of State David Whitley after his office used flawed data in a bungled scouring of voter rolls. President Donald Trump used the information Whitley's office provided to renew his unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud.
Whitley resigned on the final day of the Texas Legislative Session, but was later hired by Abbott as a special adviser -- a position that pays him a salary of $205,000.
Republicans never forced a vote on Whitley.
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