House Speaker Paul Ryan faced Democratic criticism Thursday after choosing not to renew the term of a federal agency head who has helped lead the charge on securing elections from hackers.

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The move comes as the government scrambles to ensure that Russian hackers don't repeat the cyberattacks that roiled the 2016 election. The four-member commission, originally founded to help states apply the lessons of the bungled 2000 presidential election, has taken on an increasingly prominent role in promoting security — to the consternation of some Republicans who say it has outlived its purpose.

The news of Ryan's decision caused alarm among digital security advocates and Democratic election officials.

“It is clear that Republican congressional leadership and the Trump administration simply aren’t interested in ensuring that our elections are protected from Russian interference,” Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill, a Democrat, told POLITICO in a statement.

Security advocates and liberal activists also are worried about the potential impact on this year's 2018 midterm elections, when intelligence officials have warned Russian hackers will be back in full force.

“This is insanity,” said Joseph Lorenzo Hall, an election security expert who is the chief technologist at the Center for Democracy & Technology. “Matt is extremely capable and has been a champion of more secure and better elections the entire time he's been on the EAC.”