Bill Cowles, Orange County’s longest serving supervisor of elections, announced today, Wednesday, February 8, that he intends to retire at the end of his current term, January 6, 2025.
“It has been the role of a lifetime to be trusted by the citizens of Orange County to conduct secure election with the highest standards of integrity. After a fulfilling 33 years (which will be 35 years at the end of the term), first as chief deputy and now supervisor, it is time to pass the torch and retire to private life and enjoy time with my wife and four grandsons,” Cowles said in a news release.
Cowles has been an integral part the Orange County Supervisor of Elections office since 1989. Prior to joining the elections team as chief deputy, he served thirteen years on the staff of the Central Florida Council, Boy Scouts of America.
He was elected as the Orange County Supervisor of Elections in 1996 and has been re-elected in every election since. Bill supervises the fifth-largest county elections office in the state of Florida.
Cowles’ tenure has seen its fair share of elections excitement. The first county-wide election he conducted was the 1997 Penny Sales Tax election. It was declared by the U.S. Postal Service to be the largest mail-ballot election at the time. Cowles’ first presidential election was the infamous 2000 election filled with hanging chads – although, to be clear, in the words of Cowles: “Chad never came to Orange County.” Additionally, the most contentious election he has overseen was the presidential race of 2020.
Cowles graduated in 1976 with a degree in public administration from the University of Central Florida.
Bill Cowles has been married since 1978 to Cheryl and has two married sons and four grandsons. He will miss the job but is looking forward to spending more time with his family.
The Apopka Chief and The Planter are weekly community newspapers, independently owned and family operated, that have served the greater Apopka area in Central Florida since 1923 and 1965 respectively.
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