Cord Byrd, state legislator who represents Jacksonville area, named Florida’s new Secretary of State

Rep. Cord Byrd, who represents Jacksonville in the Florida Legislature, has been appointed to become the new Secretary of State by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

A release from DeSantis’ office says Byrd, a Jacksonville attorney, “has been a staunch advocate for election security, public integrity, the fight against big tech censorship and the de-platforming of political candidates.”

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“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 said in the release. “I look forward to his successes ensuring Florida’s elections remain safe, secure and well-administered.”

“Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, Florida has led the way on election security and preserving freedom for its residents,” Byrd said in the release. “As Secretary of State, I will make sure 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.”

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Byrd has been in the Florida House since 2016 and served all six years on the Public Integrity and Elections Committee during that time, including two years as vice chair.

Recently, Byrd came back to Twitter after he and his wife left following the Capitol insurrection.

“Back by popular demand! @elonmusk #FreeSpeech #FirstAmendment,” Byrd tweeted, tying his return to Twitter’s recent decision to move forward with a takeover bid from Elon Musk.

Byrd will replace outgoing Secretary of State Laurel Lee, whose resignation will be effective as of Monday.

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