Prior to being named Secretary of State in December, Ertel served as Seminole County Supervisor of Elections. | Steve Cannon/AP Photo Florida secretary of state resigns after blackface photographs emerge

Florida Secretary of State Mike Ertel abruptly resigned after photographs emerged of him in blackface dressed as a Hurricane Katrina victim.

“I am submitting my resignation as Florida Secretary of State effective immediately,” Ertel wrote in an email to Gov. Ron DeSantis, which was obtained by POLITICO.


Ertel submitted the resignation just before 2 p.m. Thursday, after the Tallahassee Democrat informed the governor's office earlier in the day that it had unearthed photographs of Ertel in blackface at a Halloween party in 2005.

Prior to being named Secretary of State in December, Ertel served as Seminole County Supervisor of Elections.