Tre Hargett was elected by the Tennessee General Assembly to serve as Tennessee’s 37th secretary of state in 2009 and re-elected in 2013, 2017, and 2021. Secretary Hargett is the chief executive officer of the Department of State with oversight of more than 300 employees. He also serves on 16 boards and commissions, on two of which he is the presiding member. The services and oversight found in the Secretary of State's office reach every department and agency in state government.
The Tennessee Secretary of State has oversight of the Department of State. The Secretary of State is one of three Constitutional Officers elected by the General Assembly, in joint session. The Secretary of State is elected to a four-year term. The constitution mandates that it is the secretary's duty to keep a register of the official acts and proceedings of the governor, and, when required, to "lay same, all papers, minutes and vouchers relative thereto, before the General Assembly."
