Credit: Inside the MagicFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed a high-ranking official of the new tax district around the Walt Disney World Resort as his new chief of elections, continuing his strategy of giving important jobs to his political allies.
The far-right politician and former presidential candidate recently selected (per AP News) Glen Gilzean, who currently serves as the administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) board of supervisors; he also formerly held a position on the Florida Commission on Ethics, which he ironically had to step down from because of conflicts of interest with his new Disney-related position.
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Glen Gilzean is rapidly becoming one of the most influential people in Central Florida politics, considering the amount of sway he has over the CFTOD, formerly known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The tax district is where the majority of Disney World is located, meaning that Gilzean essentially holds a huge amount of control over one of the single largest employers in the entire state.
DeSantis has now put him in charge of elections in Orange County, one of the most reliably Democratic-leaning areas in the state. It can likely be argued that the governor is putting one of his close allies in charge of elections in the area to closely monitor one of the few counties where DeSantis does not hold a disproportionate level of popularity.
At least, that’s how Democratic party lawmakers feel. In a joint statement, state and federal Democrats said, “Glen Gilzean is a Ron DeSantis loyalist who’s [sic] 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.”
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Since conceding the 2024 presidential race to Donald Trump, Governor DeSantis has seemed to be attempting to consolidate his power in Florida and reminding potential voters of his popularity in the state. In large measure, he is doing so by boasting about his legal victory over the Walt Disney Company in its recent First Amendment lawsuit against him and the CFTOD. Although Disney immediately appealed the decision, it has to be seen as a pretty huge setback for one of the most litigious companies in the world.
Inside the Magic reached out to the CFTOD for comment, but has not heard back by the time of publishing.
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