Ruth R. Hughs

Ruth Hughs
113th Secretary of State of Texas
In office
August 19, 2019 – May 31, 2021
GovernorGreg Abbott
Preceded byDavid Whitley
Succeeded byJohn B. Scott
Personal details
Born1971 or 1972 (age 52–53)
Political partyRepublican
EducationUniversity of Texas, Austin (BA)
Rutgers University, Camden (JD)

Ruth Ruggero Hughs (born 1971/1972)[1] is an American lawyer who served as the 113th Texas Secretary of State, appointed by Governor Greg Abbott on August 19, 2019.[2]

In July 2015 Governor Abbott appointed Hughs to the three-member Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).[3] Hughs became Chair of the TWC in August 2018.[4]

Prior to her appointment as a TWC commissioner, Hughs was in private law practice and was the owner of a film production company. Before her work in the private sector, Hughs served as the Director of Defense Litigation in the Texas Attorney General's Office where she managed six civil litigation divisions, advising on state, federal, and local matters.[4][3]

Hughs is a native of Argentina and is a member of the Republican Party.[5] She is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the New Jersey State Bar and chair of the Advisory Council on Cultural Affairs. Hughs is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin and received a Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers Camden School of Law.[6]

On May 31, 2021, Hughs resigned as Secretary of State after the Texas State Senate Nominations Committee did not take up her nomination for another term.[7]

Hughs resides with her husband Greg and their two children in Austin.[4]

  1. ^ Gov. Abbott names new Secretary of State after flawed voter purge
  2. ^ "Governor Abbott Appoints Hughs As Texas Secretary Of State". Office of the Texas Governor. August 19, 2019. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Ruth Ruggero Hughs Biography". Critical Shift. Archived from the original on August 31, 2019. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "KC awarded $300K from TWC grant, KEDC". Kilgore College. January 6, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  5. ^ Young, Stephen (August 20, 2019). "Texas Gov. Abbott Gets Back on Script With New Secretary of State Appointment". Dallas Observer. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  6. ^ "Governor Abbott Appoints New Texas Secretary Of State". San Marcos Corridor News. August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  7. ^ "Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughs to Resign After Senate Spurns Her Nomination". The Texan. 2021-05-22. Retrieved 2021-07-11.