Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed Glen Gilzean, the former leader of Walt Disney World’s government, as the new elections supervisor in Orange County. This move comes after Gilzean’s tenure as the administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Committee following the takeover of the Disney World governing district by DeSantis’ allies.
Gilzean, who previously served as a DeSantis appointee on the Florida Commission on Ethics and as president and CEO of the Central Florida Urban League, will now oversee voting in Florida’s fifth-largest county, home to over 1.4 million residents and some of the largest theme park resorts in the US
The appointment follows the retirement of longtime elections supervisor Bill Cowles, a Democrat who had held the position since 1996.
Despite concerns raised by Democratic lawmakers in the Orlando area, including US Rep. Maxwell Frost, about Gilzean’s qualifications and DeSantis’ alleged pattern of appointing unqualified loyalists, the transition is expected to be completed within a week.
DeSantis’ Strategic Move
Gilzean’s new role comes amid turmoil within the district, which has experienced an exodus of experienced staff and various legal battles since its takeover. The district provides municipal services such as firefighting, planning, and mosquito control.
The appointment also follows a feud between DeSantis and Disney over a state law known as “Don’t Say Gay,” which bans classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades.
After Disney publicly opposed the law, DeSantis took over the district through legislation passed by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature and appointed a new board of supervisors, which named Gilzean as administrator.
Despite his lack of experience running elections, Gilzean will oversee the GOP presidential primary this month, as well as primaries in August and the November general election. Five Democrats, a Republican, and an independent have filed to run for elections supervisor in Orange County later this year, but Gilzean is not among them.
