TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Michael Ertel, Seminole County's supervisor of elections, has been appointed Florida's next secretary of state.
- Seminole County elections chief to be next Florida Secretary of State
- Mike Ertel has been Seminole elections supervisor for 13 years
Gov.-Elect Ron DeSantis' Office made the announcement in a news release late Friday morning.
Ertel had been on DeSantis' shortlist for the appointment.
"Mike has proven that he is vastly qualified to lead the state's elections efforts as Secretary of State, and will strive to ensure that Florida voters are confident that elections continue to be fair and accurate," DeSantis said in the statement.
Ertel has been Seminole County's supervisor of elections for more than a decade. He was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush in February 2005. A U.S. Army veteran who's had a long career in public affairs, he served as Seminole County government's first public information professional.