DeSantis names Disney World administrator to run elections in Democratic Orange County

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis has a new job for the man who has led Walt Disney World’s government since his allies took it over — elections supervisor in Orange County, long one of Florida’s most reliable sources of Democratic votes.

Glen Gilzean was appointed Monday by the Republican governor to oversee voting in Florida’s fifth-largest county, where more than 1.4 million residents live among the largest theme park resorts in the U.S. Just last May, Gilzean was chosen to be administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Committee after DeSantis’ allies took over the Disney World governing district.

Gilzean previously served as a DeSantis appointee on the Florida Commission on Ethics and was president and CEO of Central Florida Urban League.

The county’s longtime elections supervisor Bill Cowles retired in January, about a year before his term was up. Cowles, a Democrat, was first elected in 1996 to the job, which oversees elections in Orlando and surrounding communities.

Gilzean didn’t respond to an emailed inquiry.

Responding to an email, the district’s office of public information said the “transition should be completed in one week,” without offering further details. As the district’s administrator, Gilzean had an annual salary of $400,000. He’ll earn about half that as elections supervisor.

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