ORLANDO, Fla — Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles will officially retire effective Jan. 31, 2024, he announced in a press conference Friday.

During his 34 years in office, he oversaw the fifth-largest county elections office in the state of Florida through multiple recounts.

The recounts included the infamous presidential election of 2000, the statewide gubernatorial election of 2018 and the county commission seat 6 race in 2022.

He led the county through its adoption of paper-based voting machines in the 90s, early voting in the 2000 election, as well as the switch to vote by mail and other advanced technologies in recent years.

“It has been my honor and privilege to serve the citizens of Orange County for more than 34 years, first as chief deputy for seven years, followed by 27 years as supervisor of elections, conducting a total of 96 county, state, federal, and municipal elections over my tenure,” Cowles said during a press conference.

“While I will miss the work tremendously, I am looking forward to the next adventure, having more time to spend with family, traveling, and catching up on all of those experiences that took a back seat when the duties of conducting an election were priority,” he continued.

After the completion of the House District 35 Special General Election, he will have administered 96 elections before he leaves office.

Cowles announced he would not run for another term in 2024 in February. At the time, he said that it was important for him to “pass the torch” so he could enjoy a private life with his wife and four grandsons.

“So that’s the reason for me, you know, to begin a new chapter in my life. I have joked that I can finally open up my calendar. And when my spouse says, ‘let's go on a trip,’ I can just say when, where and let’s go,” he said at the press conference.

Cowles said that he has already begun preparing his office for the Florida primary election next spring, as well as the presidential election in November.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will appoint a replacement to serve the rest of his term, which will last until Jan. 6, 2025. 

Orange County Democratic Party Chair Samuel Vilchez responded to the change by thanking Cowles for his years of service, but he added that he's concerned DeSantis will be responsible for finding a replacement. 

"We are concerned about the fact that Governor Ron DeSantis will be appointing Cowles’ temporary replacement," Vilchez said in a statement. "Governor DeSantis and his team have a history of advancing anti-Democratic policies and appointing highly partisan figures to replace Democratically elected officials across the state. We call on the Governor to appoint someone who can actually represent the majority of Orange County voters and who will prioritize our county’s election integrity in the same way Supervisor Cowles has for 34 years."

To oversee the process, the party is launching a "special election protection committee," Vilchez said.