HARTFORD, Conn. — Gov. Ned Lamont has named a former associate attorney general as the new Secretary of the State.
Mark Kohler will begin serving beginning July 11 and will remain in office until a newly elected Secretary of the State assumes office following the election this November.
The position opened after current Secretary of the State, Denise Merrill, announced this week she was resigning Thursday at noon to care for her ailing husband.
State law said if the Office of the Secretary of the State becomes vacant when the General Assembly is not in session, the governor will fill the position.
Merrill's resignation marked the third recent change to a state constitutional officer position following the resignation of Comptroller Kevin Lembo and the announcement that Treasurer Shawn Wooden would not run for reelection.
Merrill was already not seeking reelection in the race for Secretary of the State this year.
“I am honored and humbled to be named by Governor Ned Lamont to serve out the remainder of this term and continue my public service on behalf of the people of the State of Connecticut,” Kohler said. “I have the utmost respect, appreciation, and admiration for the work Denise Merrill accomplished in this role, and I look forward to working with her dedicated team of professionals to ensure that our elections are carried out in an accessible, fair, and transparent manner. I thank Governor Lamont for this tremendous honor, and I look forward to carrying out the work of the state.”
Kohler recently retired this year following a 30-year career with the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General. There, he served as associate attorney general as well as serving within several of the office's divisions.
From 2011 to 2021, he was the head of the Special Litigation Department. The role is responsible for representing all state constitutional officers, the legislature, and the judiciary with responsibilities over election matters, charities, gaming, and federal Indian tribal issues.
“Mark Kohler is the absolute best choice to fill this role in this critical moment. He was one of the biggest brains in our office and knows our state’s election laws inside and out. He is an unflappable manager who oversaw the deluge of litigation defending our election laws and executive orders during COVID-19. He has been for many years one of the leading constitutional lawyers in our state. He is the definition of calm under pressure and is going to do an excellent job. He is above all a gracious and humble man and I am grateful he is coming back to state service,” said Attorney General William Tong.
Lamont said Kohler’s three decades of service in a leadership position at the Office of the Attorney General provided him with a considerable amount of experience that will benefit him as Secretary of the State.
He also explained in making the decision that it was important that the person have no interest in declaring their candidacy for the office to ensure that the short-term appointment is clear of politics.
“Mark is incredibly well-respected as a levelheaded, tactful, and experienced attorney who has a considerable understanding of Connecticut state statutes, particularly those concerning the operations of our elections and government administration,” said Lamont. “The circumstances surrounding the need to fill this vacancy are very unfortunate, but I am pleased that Mark has agreed to step away briefly from his retirement and return to state service. I am confident that this will be a smooth transition, and that the staff of dedicated professionals that Secretary Merrill has led during her nearly 12 years in office are ready to continue carrying out the office’s duties on behalf of the people of Connecticut.”
Several candidates are running to permanently replace Merrill, now Kohler, including Democrat and New Haven Health Director Maritza Bond and Republican State Rep. Terrie Wood.
--
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.