Secretary of State Jim Condos will not run for re-election this year, he announced on a YouTube video.
“For me, the end result of the work of government should always be to improve the health, safety, and lives of all residents. After each election, I took an oath to uphold the Constitutions of our nation and our State, and I have worked every day to abide by those governing principles,” Condos said.
“It was critically important to me that the Secretary of State’s Office operate in a non-political, non-partisan manner, and I know we have strived to conduct our work in that manner.”
Condos, 71, does not say why he’s retiring. However, he may have tacitly endorsed his preferred successor, Deputy Secretary of State Chris Winters: “I particularly want to recognize Deputy Secretary of State Chris Winters who has served the Office for 25 years, the last 7 of which have been as my Deputy. He has been a tremendous asset and indispensable partner carrying out the work to make our office more efficient, more credible, and more accountable to the public. Chris has been a vital member of my senior management team overseeing policy and operations; and spearheading many important legislative changes. He is a true, dedicated public servant to the people of Vermont, and as a state we’ll be lucky to have him in whatever role he considers next.”
He cited his contributions to the Vermont electoral process: Same Day Registration, Automatic Voter Registration, Online Voter Registration, ADA Accessible Voting, Enhanced cyber security, Universal Vote-by-Mail, Ballot Drop Boxes, And, Ballot Curing.