John Merrill

John Harold Merrill (born November 12, 1963) is an American politician who served as the 53rd secretary of state of Alabama from 2015 to 2023. He served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2010 to 2014. Merrill is a member of the Republican Party. Early life Merrill was born in Wedowee, Alabama, and raised in Heflin, Alabama. His father served as the Cleburne County circuit clerk and a probate judge. At the age of sixteen he received the Eagle Scout Award as a member of his local boy scouts troop. In 1982, he graduated from Cleburne County High School. Merrill double majored in history and politics at the University of Alabama and received a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1987. Merrill interned for the United States Congress from May to July 1983, where he met representative William Flynt Nichols, who became his mentor. The following year, Merrill interned in the capitol for senator Howell Heflin between May and July 1984. He was the president of the University of Alabama's Student Government Association from 1986 to 1987. Career Merrill was the spokesperson for the Tuscaloosa County School District, and a business development officer for the First Federal Bank in Tuscaloosa. He was elected to represent the 62nd district in the Alabama House of Representatives in the 2010 elections, having previously run and lost for the same seat in 2002 as a Democrat. He served in the House of Representatives for a single term from 2010 through 2014. Merrill announced in January 2013 that he would run for Secretary of State of Alabama in the 2014 elections. In the Republican Party primary election in June 2014, Merrill finished in first, advancing to a runoff election in July, which he won. In the general election on November 3, 2014, he defeated Lula Albert-Kaigler, the Democratic Party nominee with more than 60% of the vote. He succeeded James R. Bennett, who had been appointed to the office to fill out the remainder of the term of the Republican incumbent representative Beth Chapman. Merrill was elected to a second full term in 2018. He was term-limited and could not seek re-election in 2022, and was succeeded by Wes Allen.