Mac Warner


Mac Warner is the West Virginia Secretary of State. He took office January 16, 2017, having won the general election in November 2016 against incumbent Democrat Natalie Tennant.

Biography

Warner is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point; and holds a law degree from West Virginia University and LL.M. degrees from the Judge Advocate General's School in Military Law; and from the University of Virginia in International Law.
Before entering politics, Warner served in the United States Army in the Judge Advocate General Corps until retirement, and a United States Department of State contractor. He is the father of four children all current or former Army officers.

Tenure

Warner reorganized the Secretary of State's office upon taking control of the West Virginia Secretary of State's office, resulting in the firing of approximately 16 staffers. All employees of the Secretary of State are hired at the "will and pleasure" of the elected office holder and have no civil service status. The Warner layoffs included staff members who have served multiple administrations—Republican and Democrat.
In January 2018, the West Virginia Secretary of State's office announced that it had processed 45,000 new voter registrations in 2017, including 13,995 high school students, while over 86,000 registrations were cancelled due to death, out of date information, duplication, or felony status.
Warner and Attorney General of West Virginia Patrick Morrisey sided with the Ohio Secretary of State in a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court case regarding a state's right to purge voter registration rolls. The court ruled 5-4 in Ohio's favor.

Personal life

He lives in Morgantown, West Virginia. His brothers are Kasey Warner, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, Kris Warner, former chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party, and Monty Warner, the 2004 Republican nominee for Governor of West Virginia.