ORLANDO, Fla. — As Glen Gilzean tells it, he never expected to serve as Orange County’s Supervisor of Elections.

That changed, he said, when he received a call from a staffer for Gov. Ron DeSantis. 

What You Need To Know

  • Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Glen Gilzean to replace Bill Cowles, who retired in January

  • Gilzean promises to expand election 'transparency' as critics call out his appointment as partisan

  • Gilzean said he is transitioning away from his job as Administrator at Central Florida Tourism Oversight District
  • Voters will select a new Supervisor of Elections in November

“The phone just rings, I get a call and they say 'you are needed, and because of your track record and great things you’ve done over at the District, we ask that you come over to the office and provide some support,'” Gilzean said.

That call created a sudden shift in Gilzean’s focus as DeSantis appointed Gilzean to replace former Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles, who retired at the end of January.

The governor’s office said at least seven individuals applied for the appointment, but Gilzean said he was not one of them, nor did he proactively ask to be appointed.

But, it was a call Gilzean said he has no reservations to answer. 

“I think what they saw was this guy has a proven track record, he has an ability to build bridges and connect and serve the community at large, and my background being the former CEO of (Central Florida) Urban League and programs like Get Out the Vote makes sense,” Gilzean said.

The timing of Gilzean’s appointment comes just as Florida prepares for the Presidential Preference Primary Election, plus eight municipal elections.

Gilzean, a Republican, was appointed to replace long time Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles, a Democrat, who, after more than 30-plus years, retired at the end of January.

After getting the call from the governor’s office, Gilzean said he first called his wife and then Cowles.

“I asked (Cowles) coming into this, what would you recommend me doing, he said go in and be a cheerleader for the staff and work with them and just know they have your back, just like they’ll have your back," said Gilzean. "That was beautiful because the next day I shared with all of the staff in a staff meeting I’ll be their biggest fan and cheerleader and together we can make this the best election cycle ever.”

Cowles told Spectrum News in January, days before his election he was leaving, confident the staff would be more than able and willing to support whoever came into the role. With more than 425 combined years of elections experience, Gilzean will need to lean on the existing staff at Orange County Supervisor of Elections office, as he technically will serve until the end of Cowles’ current term. An election will be held in November to elect a new supervisor.

Gilzean did not reject the possibility of considering filing for the ballot himself ahead of this summer’s filing deadline.

“My goal is to make sure I stay focused on the job, work with the staff, learn what the needs are so I can get the tools to ensure our elections are safe,” Gilzean said.

At the moment, Gilzean needs to split his focus and time between now serving as Orange County Supervisor of Elections, and Administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, the state-controlled entity that functions as Walt Disney World’s special taxing district.

Gilzean has held numerous leadership roles in the past, including eight years as President and CEO of Central Florida Urban League. DeSantis appointed Gilzean to various other roles, including chair of the Florida Commission on Ethics.

In May 2023, the CFTOD Board, composed of gubernatorial appointees, hired Gilzean to serve as Administrator of the District. It was for this job Gilzean was eventually forced to step down as Chair of the Commission on Ethics.

As Administrator, Gilzean earns an annual salary of $400,000, but said he is now transitioning out of the role to take on the Supervisor of Elections job full time, which provides an annual salary of $205,000.

Gilzean’s employment agreement provides an allowance to resign with 30 days’ notice. Gilzean and a spokesman for The District say a transition and departure plan is in development.

“The goal is to have a very seamless transition. It’s not fair to the taxpayers in the District (for me) to be in two different areas at the same time,” Gilzean said. “I have been burning the midnight oil as they would say, spending roughly 7-8 hours in one location, then 7-8 hours in another, but the goal is to work with the board and have a seamless transition and have them take it from there.”

Gilzean said the goal is to fully leave the employment of CFTOD, a process that could take several weeks.

Spectrum News 13’s media partner, Orlando Sentinel, reports Governor DeSantis has since recommended the CFTOD Board replace Gilzean with Stephanie Kopelousos, a top advisor who most recently served on the governor’s campaign for president. 

With voters already casting ballots in the March primary elections, Gilzean steps into a role as critics also cast doubt on his appointment.

A group of Democratic lawmakers including Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, State Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, and Sen. Geraldine Thompson, among others, issued a joint statement on Gilzean’s selection.

“Ron DeSantis continue to abuse the power of his office to appoint his friends and allies to elected positions that they are not qualified for, all so he can control every part of our state and local governments and warp our democracy to his will,” the group said. “The elections this year are some of the most important facing our communities. We need someone elected by the people, someone who is going to be impartial and someone wholeheartedly on the side of democracy. Glen Gilzean is a Ron DeSantis loyalist who’s top priority seems to be making Ron DeSantis happy, not protecting the integrity of our elections. This move signals the Governor’s focus on silencing the voices of Central Florida voters as one of the most northern progressive hubs in our state. We cannot let this happen.”

Democrats have long outnumbered Republicans in Orange County. As of March 8, 2024:

  • Democrats: 323,585 (40.38%)
  • Republican: 211,763 (26.42%)
  • Other: 20,617 (2.57%)
  • NPA: 245,411 (30.62%)

Total: 801,376
Source: Orange County Supervisor of Elections

Responding to the criticism, Gilzean dismisses the notion he has any partisan agenda.

“Not at all, the goal here is to make sure everyone’s vote is counted, my goal is to bring transparency and to make sure that when you cast your ballot you have full faith and confidence that your vote counts,” Gilzean said, later adding: “I would tell them they have nothing to worry about because one of the things I’m going to do is just follow the law and more importantly, this is a non-partisan role, it’s about giving voters confidence their votes will count and that’s exactly what I’m going to do to make sure every Orange County citizen, when they cast their ballot, they know it’s counted.”

Gilzean gives credit to retired Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles, adding he wants to build on Bill’s legacy, while also leaving his own mark.

“The way I see it, the public has an opportunity to come in and observe the process and if there’s a crowd, then by law we have to have an overflow room and watch it on a monitor, closed circuit television, and my thesis is why can’t we post that or stream that live on social media or any kind of television broadcast and use that as a way, so in the comfort of your home you can still observe the process,” Gilzean said. “So, more transparency we can leverage using technology will be the way that you’ll see this office build on Bill’s legacy.”