‘I got a lot of pushback’: Orlando’s first female mayor reflects on time in politics

ORLANDO, Fla. — In 1992, Glenda Hood became the first female mayor of Orlando.

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“I remember I got a lot of pushback, and especially from other women, quite honestly, because the attitude was to stay home with your family to either be a teacher or a secretary and we had no business in politics,” Hood told Channel 9.

It was just one of many hurdles she had to jump.

As mayor, she advocated for smart growth to build safe neighborhoods. Under her leadership, the city’s land area grew by 50%.

“This was when, you know, the Navy used to be here,” she said.

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One of her biggest undertakings was the redevelopment of the Naval Training Center and the creation of Baldwin Park.

“It was about a 10-year process. And it is now and continues to be held up as one of the largest economic development projects we’ve ever had in the city of Orlando,” Hood said.

In 2003, she became secretary of state and immediately was given a daunting task: “Straighten out everything after the 2000 election,” she told Channel 9.

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And she did, though 2004 came with its own challenges.

“We had four hurricanes hit the state, several weeks before the presidential primary. We put in place special legislation very quickly to be able to get people to vote because you did not want to delay the election. In the end, everything ran very smoothly,” she said.

It was just another cap in the feather of a 25-year career in politics.

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“I think we as women have proved that we certainly are equal and capable, and have led in many ways in this community,” Hood said.

As for Hood’s inspirations, she credits her grandmother, who was a suffragette and her mother, who was the first woman from Florida elected to serve as a delegate to the National Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1956.

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