Biography of Deputy Secretary of State Dave Nelson
Dave Nelson serves as Deputy Secretary of State and Chief of Staff for the Office of the Texas Secretary of State. In that capacity, he manages agency operations and fulfills the role of Secretary when she is out of state. He was appointed to the position on March 1, 2024.
Deputy Nelson graduated from Southern Methodist University with a bachelor’s degree in communication. His career in public service spans 27 years—primarily in the Texas Senate where he served as Chief of Staff for then-Senator Nelson and as Director of the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees development of the Texas state budget. He also worked as Communications Director for the Health and Human Services Commission and in that capacity managed media relations, public outreach, website development, and translations. Prior to his career in public service, Deputy Nelson was a journalist.
