NEW YORK, N.Y. –The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law announced Tuesday the hiring of former West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant.
Tenannt will be the center’s manager of state advocacy on voting rights and elections, a news release said.
“The Brennan Center is thrilled to welcome Natalie,” said Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center. “She was a strong champion of voters’ rights as West Virginia’s Secretary of State. Her insight and experience will be an invaluable addition to our team as we work to increase access to voting across the country.”
The announcement made note of Tennant’s role in the state legislature’s passing of automatic voter registration last year.
“We have come to know and work with Natalie because of her strong advocacy for automatic voter registration,” said Myrna Pérez, deputy director of the Center’s Democracy Program. “We couldn’t be more excited that she will bring her skills in election administration, campaigning, and coalition-building to our efforts to pass automatic voter registration in the states.”
Tennant, who was defeated in her attempt for a third term by Republican Mac Warner last fall, said voting rights were at the top of her agenda during her time in office.
“The Brennan Center is at the center of the fight to preserve and expand the right to vote for every eligible citizen. I’m extremely honored to join the Center in advancing that mission,” Tennant said in the news release. “Improving our voter registration system will help millions of Americans sign up and participate in our great democracy. That’s what I helped achieve in West Virginia, and I’m excited to work with the Brennan Center to transform voter registration nationwide.”