Barbara Katherine Cegavske (née Jewson ; born August 27, 1951) is an American businesswoman and politician , who is the current Secretary of State of Nevada . She was a Republican member of the Nevada Senate , representing Clark County District 8 ( map ) from 2002 to 2014. Previously, she served in the Nevada Assembly from 1996 to 2001. According to her legislative biography, she was educated at Mayo High School in Rochester, Minnesota, and at Clark County Community College (now known as the College of Southern Nevada) in Las Vegas. With her husband, Tim, she was a 7-11 convenience store franchisee for thirteen years before seeking political office.