Kelly Teal Thomasson Mercer[1][2] (born July 7, 1979) is an American Democratic politician, who served as the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia from April 2016 to January 2022.

[4][6][7] One week later, McAuliffe issued an executive order intended to grant a blanket restoration of civil rights to all released felons in the state (who were not on probation or parole).

[7][11] The Richmond Times-Dispatch has called this restoration of rights "perhaps the most significant policy action" of McAuliffe's administration,[4] and Style Weekly named Thomasson to its 2017 Top 40 Under 40 list, highlighting her work in the matter as a "singular achievement".

The Virginia Circuit Court judge of Lee, Scott, and Wise counties has argued that the policy may still be unconstitutional, even in its revised form, since it is unlikely that McAuliffe individually reviewed the specific details of each felon's case.

In late October 2017, the commonwealth's attorney of Wise County sought to subpoena McAuliffe, then-lieutenant governor Ralph Northam, and Thomasson, in order to resolve the matter.