Glenda Hood

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Glenda Evans Hood is a U.S. politician, former Secretary of State of Florida (2003-2005) and Mayor of Orlando (1992-2003).

During her time as mayor in Orlando, Hood pushed for a new center for the performing arts and other, edifices often telling staffers that these buildings would be "her legacy".

When pressure mounted during her last mayoral election, she asked then fire chief Don Harkins to resign and gave the firefighters a major pay raise in order to gain the support of City of Orlando firemen for the election. This gave the firefighters' union unprecedented power, after which time the fire department began to decline.

She was at the center of some controversy, when she ordered voter registration invalidated as "incomplete" when the box for "US Citizen" was not checked, even though applicants signed the cards with a statement attesting they were.

Hood served as Secretary of State of Florida from January 2003 to November 21, 2005. She was the first non-elected Secretary of State to serve in Florida. She was apponted by Gov. Jeb Bush when Bush assumed his second term. In March 2003, it was reported that Bush would appoint her as the new lieutenant governor to succeed Frank Brogan who resigned. Bush instead named for Senate President Toni Jennings as lieutenant governor.