Connecticut governor names former associate attorney general as secretary of state; he ‘knows our state’s election laws inside and out’

Gov. Ned Lamont announced Thursday he will appoint a retired career state employee who handled election matters in the state attorney general’s office to succeed Secretary of the State Denise Merrill.

Mark F. Kohler of North Haven retired earlier this year following a 30-year career in the office of the attorney general, most recently as an associate attorney general. From 2011 to 2021 he headed the Special Litigation Department that represents the state’s constitutional officers, legislature and judiciary, with responsibilities over election matters, charities, gambling and federal Indian tribal issues, officials said.

The secretary of the state is Connecticut’s chief elections officer, a key job during the pandemic when rules were established to guide voting by mail procedures.

Merrill, 73, will step down Thursday, six months before her term ends, to care for her husband. She announced last year she will not seek a fourth term.

Kohler will take the job July 11 and remain in office until the next secretary of the state, who will be elected in November, takes over in January.

Lamont said he is pleased Kohler agreed to “step away briefly” from his retirement.

“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,” he said.

Attorney General William Tong said Kohler “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 said.

“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,” Tong said.

Lamont said Kohler’s experience in the attorney general’s office “will benefit him as secretary of the state.”

“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,” the governor said.

Choosing a candidate who will not seek the secretary of the state’s office in this year’s election ensures “this short-term appointment be clear of politics,” Lamont said.

The governor, who is seeking a second term, followed his own playbook in steering clear of politics as he picks constitutional officers. In December, Lamont appointed Natalie Braswell, a former high-ranking official in the comptroller’s office, to complete the term of Comptroller Kevin P. Lembo, who resigned for health reasons.

With both picks, Lamont selected veteran state employees who will not be political candidates for their jobs.

The governor passed over Deputy Secretary of the State Scott Bates, a national security expert who worked for several members of Congress and then-Gov. Douglas Wilder of Virginia. He was a board member and chairman of the Connecticut Port Authority until 2019 when he resigned in 2019 as the agency faced criticism over spending practices.

Stephen Singer can be reached at ssinger@courant.com.