WHAT HAPPENED TO GLENDA HOOD?

Florida's Secretary of State, Glenda Hood, resigned Tuesday. She was the first Secretary of State to serve since the position became an appointed position after voters approved a measure removing it from the Cabinet.

The former Orlando mayor said it was time to go home, but did not rule out a future run for public office.

While it seemed to some rather sudden, the move was not entirely surprising to her closest associates, who say that Ms. Hood was disappointed with several areas of the appointment. Instead of being within the Governor Bush's inner circle, her office was relocated away from the Capitol campus. The Orlando Sentinel also noted that the position and responsibilities were not exactly what was Bush had promised:

Along with the family disruption, the secretary of state's job also proved different than billed by Bush, who had initially envisioned Hood overseeing a merger of the Department of State with the Department of Community Affairs.

Bush envisioned Hood having authority over growth management -- which he had labeled a key provision of his second term. But amid growing legislative and agency opposition, the proposal was eventually scrapped.

Though Hood helped lead trade missions to South America and the Caribbean, her goal of playing a larger role in international trade as secretary of state also was diminished when Bush retained much of that authority for his own office.

She will be remembered for her defence of the flawed list of 4800 potential felons who were to have been removed from the voter rolls statewide prior to last year's election. The list included the names of individuals who had their rights restored after being pardoned. Many of those were registered Democrats, and African-Americans.

Glenda Hood's last day in office will be November 21.