Year in Review: Secretary of State Cord Byrd Reflects on Year of Accomplishments

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. –

As a new calendar year begins, Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd highlighted a year marked by major achievements across the Florida Department of State. He thanked Governor Ron DeSantis for supporting the Department’s mission to preserve Florida’s history and heritage, strengthen election integrity, foster a thriving business climate and enhance the quality of life for all Floridians. 

“Looking back on 2025, I am encouraged by the many accomplishments the Florida Department of State was able to achieve for Floridians,” said Secretary of State Cord Byrd. “From preparing for the America250FL celebration to maintaining our gold standard in election administration to supporting Florida businesses, our dedicated team has worked tirelessly to serve Floridians and position our state as a national leader, not only in elections, but in preserving history and heritage.”

Planning a Patriotic America250FL Celebration

In anticipation of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, Governor DeSantis appointed Secretary Byrd as chair of the Florida Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial.  The Commission met throughout the year to recommend patriotic and educational programming that commemorates Florida’s profound influence on the nation’s past, present and future.

Erecting Statues of America’s Founders

The Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources obtained, transported and installed statues of Thomas Jefferson in Jefferson County, Benjamin Franklin in Franklin County and George Washington in the Florida Capitol Building.  More statue installations are planned for 2026.

Showcasing America250FL

In addition to statues, the Department promoted America250FL through a series of exhibits. The Division of Historical Resources  installed “The Founders Museum, The Road to Liberty” exhibit in the Florida Capitol. The educational and interactive exhibit is curated by PragerU in partnership with the White House and the U.S. Department of Education. The Division of Arts and Culture curated the “250 Years of Florida Art” exhibit at the 22nd Floor Capitol Gallery which featured art works from the Museum of Florida History’s  Risner Fine Art Collection. The exhibit included works by artists such as Guy Harvey, Mary Ann Carroll, Martin Johnson Heade and Christopher Still. The selected works showcased Florida’s natural beauty and connection to American history.

Strengthening International Trade

In his role as State Protocol Officer, Secretary Byrd participated in three international trade missions to promote Florida’s unequaled quality of life to attract international trade and business to Florida.  In June, he accompanied Governor DeSantis on a Leadership Trade Mission to France for the 2025 Paris Air Show.  In October he was a delegate on a SelectFlorida trade mission to Taiwan, and he was the Head of Delegation at the annual meeting of SEUS Japan in Tokyo where he led Florida’s delegation to build and strengthen trade partnerships with Japanese industries.

Commemorating a Diplomatic Milestone

This year also marked the 30th anniversary of the Florida-Wakayama Sister State Agreement. To commemorate this significant milestone of international diplomacy, the Division of Art and Culture curated a traveling art exhibit that featured works by various Japanese and Florida artists. The exhibit debuted in Tallahassee in late 2024 and traveled to museums in New Smyrna Beach and Miami. Thousands of Florida citizens and tourists viewed the exhibit featuring works produced by artists from Florida and Japan.

 Cracking Down on Illegal Voting 

Florida led a multistate effort to help secure accurate voter rolls through a landmark agreement with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to receive better information through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Systematic Alien Verification of Entitlements (SAVE) database. The agreement ensures that DHS provides timely and responsive information to states at no cost. Improved access to the database will enhance the ability of states to maintain cleaner voter rolls and stop illegal voting by non-citizens.

Sharing Florida’s Election Success on the National Stage

Secretary Byrd continued to educate and inform lawmakers across the nation about the success of Florida’s election reforms by testifying before Congress and the Florida Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Secretary Byrd also participated in White House roundtables and provided guidance and advice to election leaders from other states, several of whom wanted to replicate Florida’s elections blueprint.

Enforcing Election Laws

Florida’s Office of Election Crimes and Security (OECS) continued its mission to safeguard the integrity of Florida’s elections by investigating and referring alleged cases of fraud to law enforcement. In May, Smart and Safe Florida, a pro-marijuana political committee, paid $121,600 for violations of Florida law resulting from the 2024 ballot initiative to legalize marijuana in Florida.  Smart and Safe Florida received the fine for delivering more than 2,400 late petitions to supervisors of elections in Alachua, Clay, Citrus, Columbia and Leon counties.  Florida’s election code is at the foundation of election integrity, and OECS will continue to protect election integrity by pursuing criminals who violate the law.

Protecting Florida History and Heritage

Florida Main Street celebrated 40 years in April 2025.  Since the program began, local communities have reported nearly $7 billion in investments, more than 51,000 completed projects and 11,000 new or expanded businesses.  The program has helped to create more than 35,000 new jobs. Additionally, the Department launched the Florida Main Street App giving travelers a convenient way to plan trips to Main Street communities across the state and explore restaurants, businesses, parks, theaters, murals and historic sites.

Playing History

Florida is the Golf Capital of the World and offers a unique way for golf lovers to experience the history of the game.  The Florida Historic Golf Trail (FHGT) program features over 50 historic, publicly accessible golf courses established between the 19th century and World War II. In August, the program celebrated 10 years of preserving Florida’s golf heritage. The celebration coincided with an announcement that welcomed  Brentwood Golf Course in Jacksonville as the newest partner course to join FHGT. 

Facilitating Business Growth

The Florida Department of State, through the Division of Corporations, facilitated the state’s thriving business climate in 2025. At year-end, the division processed over 670,000 business entity filings. These filings included over 561,000 limited liability companies, over 67,000 for-profit corporations and over 16,000 non-profit corporations. 

Recording the Veteran Experience

The Florida Department of State launched the Veterans’ History Program on May 15 to collect and preserve the experiences of Florida’s veterans. As part of the program, The Department of State launched a website to showcase stories from Florida’s veteran heroes, highlight the contributions Florida veterans have made to the state and provide a history of the armed forces in Florida.

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