Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos Issues Statement via Teleconference Announcing Retirement

February 15 2022

Montpelier, VT – Today Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos announced he will not be seeking re-election; and will be retiring at the end of his current term as Vermont’s 38^th Secretary of State. He made his statement, which can be viewed in full below, via teleconference Tuesday afternoon.

Over the last 35 years, it has been my great honor to serve the people of Vermont as a public servant:

• As Vermont’s Secretary of State for the last 12-years;
• Before that, as an 8-year Chittenden County State Senator;
• And, As an 18-year South Burlington City Council member.

During these many years as a public official, I have worked hard to serve Vermont’s citizens in a professional and dutiful manner, always striving to make our government more efficient, accessible, and transparent for all Vermonters.

I also entered my elected positions in government with more than 30 years of experience in the business sector.

This background helped me evaluate policies and proposed legislation with a broad lens, examining how our actions would translate in reality; and how it may affect Vermonters.

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.

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.

As Vermont’s Secretary of State, I was honored to have served as:

• The President of the National Association of Secretaries of State;
• A Member of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Board of Advisors;
• An Executive Board member for the Council of State Government;
• National Co-Chair of the Overseas Voting Initiative for Military personnel and Overseas citizens;
• And, I was privileged to testify before Congress on voting and election cybersecurity.

During my term as Secretary of State, Vermont models for elections, professional regulation, business registration, and archives & records management were nationally commended as among the best in the country and an example for other states to follow.

Today, I am announcing that I will not be seeking re-election to the position of Vermont Secretary of State.

While I have enjoyed this job every day, I am looking forward to the next chapter in my life starting in January, after my term concludes.

The position of Secretary of State is critically important in the protection of citizens’ voting rights and upholding our democracy. It should not be viewed as merely a stepping-stone for higher office.

I especially want to publicly acknowledge and thank all of the staff members at the Secretary of State’s Office.

Together, we have improved the operations of the office and its services available to Vermonters.

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.

In my almost 12 years as Secretary, we have accomplished many goals as the office transitioned from paper driven processes to a more efficient and accurate digital environment using online applications, and a well-respected and redesigned website.

We have ensured accessible, free, fair, and secure election processes while protecting and expanding Vermonters constitutional right to vote through:

• 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.

I also want to thank Vermont’s 246 City and Town Clerks for their efforts working with our office to perform the very core of our democracy – elections.

Our office protects the health and safety of the public through regulation and investigation of over 50 professions, overseeing 80,000+ licensees. We also assist Vermont’s business sector in registering to do business in Vermont.

The work we have done in the last 12 years to cut red tape and streamline or open new pathways to licensure for Vermont professionals have drastically improved career settings for members of the 50+ professions we regulate.

Vermont’s State Archives and Records Administration has received federal grants in recognition of the work being done to protect Vermont’s important historical documents and working with State agencies to improve records management and public accessibility to documents.

I want to thank my family, friends, and colleagues for their support including those who encouraged and supported me in my career:

• My colleagues from the South Burlington City Council;
• Chittenden County Senators - with a special thanks to former Senator Jim Leddy;
• Governor Howard Dean;
• Governor and Pro Tem Peter Shumlin;
• And, of course, Senators Leahy, and Sanders, and Congressman Welch.

More recently, it has been an honor to work with Governor Scott, Lt. Governor Gray, Treasurer Pearce, Attorney General Donovan, Auditor Hoffer, Senate President Pro Tem Balint, House Speaker Krowinski, and many other dedicated and hard-working legislative committee chairs & members.

Most importantly, I want to thank all Vermonters for your support, and for the privilege of allowing me to serve you during my 35+ years of elected public service.

It has been the honor of my lifetime, and I am grateful to have been provided the opportunity to help protect, defend, and expand our democracy.

Thank you, stay safe, be well, and please, do your part to keep our State a welcoming and respectful place for all Vermonters.”

The full virtual press conference can be viewed on the Secretary of State’s YouTube channel.