Critics worry Florida's new elections chief will make the office more partisan

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/13/ [login to see] /florida-secretary-of-state-cord-byrd-desantis
Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, recently tapped one of his allies in the Florida House to become the new secretary of state.

The new elections chief, Cord Byrd, has a history of sparring with Democrats and, when asked, he has refused to say Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.

Voting rights advocates and some Democrats in the state say they are worried that Byrd's appointment could make the office less independent.

Before his selection for the new role, Byrd was one of the more right-wing members of the Florida House. And Abdelilah Skhir, with the ACLU of Florida, says Byrd sponsored some of the most divisive legislation in the past few years.

"This is someone who has sponsored in the past the anti-protest bill HB 1 in 2021, sponsored the anti-voter bills that passed in 2021 and 2022 — he sponsored the House versions of those bills — the trans athlete ban, anti-immigrant legislation," he says.

Skhir says Byrd also sponsored Florida's controversial Parental Rights in Education legislation, which has been derisively dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill by opponents. He also sponsored a 15-week abortion ban, as well as legislation prohibiting schools and employers from discussing race.