Fallin taps longtime GOP leader as secretary of state

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Gov. Mary Fallin has chosen her general counsel to be the next secretary of state.

The governor announced Thursday that she was naming longtime Oklahoma GOP leader James Williamson to oversee the office that serves as the filing repository for official state acts and business entities. Fallin said Williamson also will serve as a senior adviser on policy and economic issues, and will continue to provide her legal and policy advice.

Williamson succeeds Dave Lopez, who resigned in March.

Williamson has served as Fallin’s general counsel since March 2017. A former state representative and state senator, Williamson also previously served as a policy analyst and legal counsel to former Senate President Pro Tempores Glenn Coffee and Brian Bingman.