Jennifer Lee Brunner (born February 5, 1957) is an American politician of the Democratic Party who currently serves as the Ohio Secretary of State. Brunner is the first woman to serve in this capacity. She assumed control of the office after sixteen years of Republican control, which included two four-year terms by her predecessor J. Kenneth Blackwell who oversaw the controversial 2000 and 2004 United States elections. Brunner has worked in the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office and served as a County Judge in Ohio. She also had a private practice that focused on election laws. During her private practice career, she focused on election law and campaign finance law where she represented a broad range of candidates, businesses, political parties and committees before the Ohio Elections Commission on quasi-criminal matters.