TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) – State Rep. Cord Byrd, a Neptune Beach Republican who has been on the forefront of controversial laws supported by Gov. Ron DeSantis, will oversee the 2022 elections in Florida.
DeSantis introduced Friday that Byrd will succeed Secretary of State Laurel Lee, who’s stepping down as head of the Department of State efficient Monday.
“Cord Byrd has been an ally of freedom and democracy in the Florida Legislature, and I am confident he will carry that mission forward as secretary of state,” DeSantis stated in a ready assertion.
“I look forward to his successes ensuring Florida’s elections remain safe, secure, and well-administered.”
A news launch from DeSantis’ workplace stated Byrd, throughout his six years in workplace, has been “a staunch advocate for election security, public integrity, the fight against big tech censorship and the de-platforming of political candidates.”
In the news launch, Byrd, a lawyer, stated he’ll be sure that “Florida continues to have secure elections and that we protect the freedom of our citizens in the face of big-tech censorship and ever-growing cybersecurity threats.”
But the appointment of the Northeast Florida lawmaker instantly drew criticism from Democrats who’ve squared off with Byrd through the years.
Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, issued a press release that stated the state’s prime elections official ought to be a consensus builder centered on working truthful elections.
“Cord Byrd is not that person,” Nixon stated.
“He is unqualified in both his credentials and his temperament, has proved time and again he will put partisanship ahead of good policy, and is unfit to lead the elections department of a diverse state of more than 20 million people.”
The launch from the governor’s workplace listed a collection of high-profile legislative proposals that Byrd has helped sponsor.
As an instance, he performed a key position in passing a 2019 invoice to ban so-called “sanctuary cities” in Florida.
As one other instance, he helped sponsor a 2021 measure that enhanced penalties and created new crimes in protests that flip violent — a proposal that DeSantis championed after nationwide protests centered on racial justice following the 2020 dying of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer.
Black Democrats fought the invoice (HB 1) and pointed to a historical past of civil disobedience.
But Byrd and different Republicans stated the invoice was wanted to make sure the security of Floridians and their property.
“We can act before it’s too late. We do not need to have Miami or Orlando or Jacksonville become Kenosha or Seattle or Portland. We have the ability under House Bill 1 to act now to say you can protest peaceably but you cannot commit acts of violence, you cannot harm other people, you cannot destroy their property, you cannot destroy their lives,” Byrd stated because the House debated the invoice.
In March, DeSantis appointed Byrd’s spouse, Esther, to the State Board of Education.
The Byrds left Twitter after Esther Byrd drew criticism for tweeting in regards to the storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, 2021.
“In the coming civil wars (We the People vs the Radical Left and We the People cleaning up the Republican Party), team rosters are being filled. Every elected official in DC will pick one,” Esther Byrd tweeted. “There are only 2 teams… With Us [or] Against Us.”
Lee’s departure comes as new congressional district traces are being challenged in court docket and as state and native officers put together for the Aug. 23 main elections and the Nov. 8 common election.
Byrd, whose appointment will in the end require Senate affirmation, additionally can be accountable for finishing up a controversial new elections regulation.
That regulation included creating an workplace within the Department of State to research alleged voting irregularities.
Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, noting Byrd will oversee elections and the brand new workplace, tweeted Friday, “God help us all.”
In addition to the state Division of Elections, the secretary of state additionally oversees things like the Division of Corporations, the Division of Historical Resources, and the Division of Library and Information Services.
(©2022 CBS Local Media. All rights reserved. This materials might not be revealed, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The News Service of Florida’s Jim Saunders contributed to this report.)