MANATEE COUNTY – Scott Farrington has been sworn in as Manatee County’s new supervisor of elections.
On Jan. 7, Clerk of the Court Angelina Colonneso swore Farrington in with his wife, Amy, and his son, Jacob, standing by his side. The ceremony took place at the supervisor of elections office in Bradenton in a room filled with county residents and elections office staff members.
In January 2024, Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett announced his retirement effective March 1. In April, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Manatee County Commissioner James Satcher to serve the remaining months of Bennett’s four-year term, despite Satcher having no prior experience conducting an election or running an elections office.
In response to DeSantis’ decision, Farrington resigned as the elections office chief of staff. He then sought election to serve as Manatee County’s next duly-elected supervisor of elections. In August, Farrington defeated Satcher in the August primary election and he ran unopposed in the general election in November.
Former Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett addressed the ceremony attendees. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The swearing-in ceremony began with Bennett addressing the large crowd and saying, “This goes to show what happens when the right people win.”
After the Pledge of Allegiance, Colonneso conducted the brief ceremony that ended with a warm round of applause.
Farrington then thanked Bennett, for whom he served as chief of staff for 11 years. He also shared some thoughts about being a first-time candidate and having to gather petition signatures, design campaign signs, attend campaign fundraisers and participate in other campaign-related activities.
In reference to the non-partisan nature of the elections office and attending a campaign fundraiser organized by Bennett, Farrington said, “I’ve done my best to stay out of politics. That was the first fundraiser I’ve ever been to and I hope it’s the last.”
Getting more emotional, Farrington thanked his wife and son. “My family: I wouldn’t be here without their support. Amy knew when to push, when to support and when to kick me in the ass – and she enjoyed the last part a little too much.”
Many Manatee County residents attended the swearing in ceremony. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Farrington praised the elections office staff for successfully conducting the primary and general elections – a feat accomplished with an inexperienced, first-time supervisor. He asked them to stand and be recognized with a round of applause.
“Without them, you would not have had an election. I know I can count on you,” he told them.
To the county residents in attendance, he said, “I believe the reason you decided to elect me is because you trusted the elections we’ve had under Mike Bennett and you want to still trust them. I believe the reason you have put me here is you want to hold safe, secure, accurate and transparent elections and that is what we are going to do. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I am so proud to be your supervisor.”
MANATEE COUNTY – Seven Manatee County candidates paid Anthony Pedicini’s Tampa-based Strategic Image Management (SIMWINS) political consulting firm a total of $526,508 in the recent primary election, according to the candidates’ campaign treasurer reports.
Six of those seven Pedicini clients lost their Republican primary races and their election bids are over. District 3 school board candidate Jonathan Lynch is the only one of the seven to advance to the general election.
District 7
District 7 at-large primary candidate Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s campaign paid SIMWINS $193,455 leading up to the Aug. 20 primary election. Van Ostenbridge’s campaign raised $239,344 and spent $203,517 on his unsuccessful bid to unseat incumbent District 7 commissioner George Kruse. Van Ostenbridge’s current term as the District 3 county commissioner will end in November. Gov. Ron DeSantis endorsed Van Ostenbridge’s unsuccessful District 7 bid. To date, Kruse’s campaign has raised $67,591 and spent $63,004. Kruse now faces Democrat Sari Lindroos-Valimaki in the general election. Valimaki’s campaign has raised $10,828 and spent the same amount.
Supervisor of elections
Supervisor of Elections Republican primary candidate James Satcher’s campaign paid SIMWINS $101,379. Satcher’s campaign raised $122,121 and spent $119,804 in an unsuccessful bid to serve as Manatee County’s next elected Supervisor of Elections. That seat will go to former elections office chief of staff, Scott Farrington, whose campaign raised $78,724 and spent $75,966. In April, DeSantis appointed Satcher to fill the remaining months of former Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett’s four-year term, after Bennett retired in March.
District 3
District 3 Manatee County Commission candidate April Culbreath’s campaign paid SIMWINS $90,895 in her unsuccessful bid to defeat Tal Siddique in the District 3 primary race.
Culbreath’s campaign raised $100,393 and spent $99,088. Siddique’s campaign raised $65,668 and spent $58,901. Siddique now faces Democrat Diana Shoemaker in the general election. Shoemaker’s campaign has raised $40,526 and spent $15,515.
District 5
Appointed District 5 County Commissioner Ray Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $66,072. Turner’s campaign raised $89,220 and spent $71,218. Turner, who was appointed by DeSantis, lost his election bid to Republican primary challenger Bob McCann.
To date, McCann’s campaign has raised $41,431 and spent $38,675. McCann now faces non-party-affiliated candidate Joseph Di Bartolomeo in the general election. Di Bartolomeo’s campaign has raised $9,278 and spent $2,320.
District 1
Seeking to fill the District 1 County Commission seat that Satcher vacated in April, Republican primary candidate Steve Metallo’s campaign paid SIMWINS $63,045. Metallo’s campaign raised $101,155 and spent $73,191. Metallo lost his primary race to fellow Republican Carol Ann Felts, who raised $17,011 and spent $12,925.
Felts now faces Democrat Glenn Pearson and non-party-affiliated candidate Jennifer Hamey in the general election. Pearson’s campaign has raised $10,539 and spent $9,986. Hamey’s campaign has raised $16,912 and spent $5,408.
School board
District 3 Manatee County School Board candidate Jonathan Lynch’s campaign paid SIMWINS $4,850. To date, Lynch’s campaign has raised $39,450 and spent $7,834. As the second leading vote-getter in the primary race, Lynch now faces leading vote-getter Charlie Kennedy in the general election. Kennedy’s campaign has raised $13,532 and spent $10,969.
District 1 school board candidate Alex Garner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $6,552 and his third-place finish ended his election bid. Top vote-getter Heather Felton’s campaign has raised $10,276 and spent $8,613. Second place finisher Mark Stanoch’s campaign has raised $34,457 and spent $30,966. Felton and Stanoch now face each other in the general election.
MANATEE COUNTY – The 2024 primary election cycle is complete and the primary elections results are official. Now it’s on to the general election that concludes in November.
Supervisor of Elections Office Chief of Staff David Ballard issued this informal declaration on Aug. 29 at the conclusion of the lengthy and at times contentious canvassing board meeting that coincided with the post-election certification audit of the ballots cast in two Manatee County precincts.
The three-member canvassing board certified the Aug. 20 primary election results on Aug. 22, but the results are not considered to be official until the post-election certification audit is completed.
Supervisor of Elections Office Chief of Staff David Ballard explained the post-election certification audit process. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
The uneventful audit process took approximately two hours and consisted of sealed ballots from two randomly-selected voting precincts being removed from their sealed containers and hand tabulated by elections office staff in a public setting inside the elections office in Bradenton. Precinct 209 in Palmetto and Precinct 323 in west Bradenton were the two precincts subjected to the audit, in which the hand-tabulated results matched the previous ballot scanning results with no discrepancies or rejected ballots identified.
Contentious discussion
County Judge Melissa Gould chairs the canvassing board that also includes Bradenton City Councilwoman Lisa Gonzalez Moore and Manatee County Sheriff ‘s Office General Counsel Eric Werbeck, with County Judge Renee Inman and former County Commissioner Reggie Bellamy serving as alternates.
During the Aug. 29 meeting, Supervisor of Elections appointee and defeated primary election candidate James Satcher objected to the approval of recent canvassing board meeting minutes prepared by Gould.
Presented in summary form as required by state law, Satcher said the minutes did not accurately reflect the long, detailed and nuanced discussions that took place at the canvassing board meetings. At Satcher and Ballard’s request, the audio recordings of those past meetings will be attached to the meeting minutes and detailed transcriptions of those audio recordings will be prepared.
Interim Supervisor of Elections James Satcher aired many grievances during the Aug. 29 canvassing board meeting.- Joe Hendricks | Sun
Satcher also objected to the canvassing board retaining the legal services of the Bentley Goodrich Kison law firm. On Aug. 29, Gould noted that Morgan Bentley’s law firm currently represents the Sarasota County canvassing board and that Bentley has vast election law experience.
When voicing his objection to the board retaining Bentley’s law firm, Satcher noted that Bentley previously represented the elections office when Mike Bennett served as supervisor. He also noted that Bennett supported Scott Farrington in the recent Supervisor of Elections primary race in which Farrington defeated Satcher.
On or around Aug. 16, the canvassing board authorized Gould to secure legal representation should it be needed in the future. This occurred after Gould told Satcher, who was still a candidate at the time, that he was not allowed to participate in canvassing board meetings.
In response, Satcher obtained written guidance from Florida Department of State General Counsel Brad McVay.
In his Aug. 16 email response to Satcher, McVay cited Florida Statute 102.141, which notes the canvassing board shall include the supervisor of elections.
“The supervisor, however, shall act in an advisory capacity to the canvassing board,” according to the statute cited in McVay’s email.
In his own words, McVay’s email stated, “The law is clear you ‘shall act in an advisory capacity to the canvassing board.’ Therefore, it is your determination to make as to what is necessary to best ac t in your advisory capacity as the supervisor of elections, including but not limited to your presence within the canvassing board room. With that being said, given that you are required to serve in an advisory capacity to the canvassing board and you are also an active candidate on the primary election ballot, you will want to do your best to avoid intermingling your official duties as supervisor with that of an incumbent candidate. Consideration should be given to ways that allow you to fulfill your required duty but also ensure confidence, integrity and transparency in the process.”
When contacted on Sept. 1, Bennett told The Sun he did not participate in canvassing board meetings during election cycles in which he himself was a candidate.
On Aug. 29, Satcher said the meeting minutes did not accurately reflect the board’s request that he be removed from the canvassing board meeting room on Aug. 16.
He also asked Gould to step down from the canvassing board because he feels she has not conducted herself in an impartial manner.
“It’s sad that we’ve run so far afield from that,” Satcher said when airing his many grievances.
County Judge Melissa Gould rejected James Satcher’s request that she remove herself from the canvassing board. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
When declining Satcher’s request to step down, Gould said, “Mr. Satcher, one of the things that falls within the purview of the canvassing board is election integrity and everything that I do is an attempt to preserve that. That is one of the board goals and that is how I conducted myself.”
In addition to The Sun, three members of the public attended the Aug. 29 canvassing board meeting: League of Women Voters of Manatee County members Merrie Lynn Parker and Ruth Harenchar and techHouse founder and CEO Kathy Dupree. Attendees were allowed to give public input, which was done that day via handwritten comment cards.
Read aloud by Gould with no names given, one public comment card expressed appreciation for the professionalism displayed by Gould, Moore and Werbeck.
Another comment card addressed the conduct of Satcher and his staff and said, “Staff is observed to be capable and diligent. Mr. Ballard’s guidance is seen as helpful. Mr. Satcher’s behavior has been observed to be obstructive, petulant and petty.”
Clear ballot pending
The tension between Satcher and the canvassing board dates back to Aug. 6, when Gould, Moore and Werbeck unanimously ruled that Satcher could not use the Clear Ballot auditing system he purchased in late July for approximately $200,000. Satcher’s intent was to audit every ballot cast in the primary and general elections, but the canvassing board ruled the Clear Ballot system could not be used for the primary because the required pre-election testing of the system was not mentioned in the public notice for the Aug. 6 canvassing board meeting.
The lack of proper notice for the Clear Ballot system was pointed out that day by Farrington, who later defeated Satcher by 7,276 votes in the primary election.
In anticipation of using the Clear Ballot system to audit the general election ballots, the system is scheduled to be tested at the canvassing board’s Oct. 16 meeting.
Despite his primary defeat, Satcher will remain in office until Farrington’s elected four-year term begins on Jan. 7.
MANATEE COUNTY – Anna Maria Island voters helped determine the winners of three key Republican primary races that saw Tal Siddique, George Kruse and Scott Farrington emerge with victories on Aug. 20.
Island voters joined voters countywide in rejecting several candidates associated with political consultant Anthony Pedicini and the divisive, developer-beholden political ideology that has defined county politics since the 2020 elections. Pedicini clients April Culbreath, Kevin Van Ostenbridge, James Satcher, Ray Turner and Steve Metallo lost their primary races.
District 3
Siddique defeated Culbreath in the District 3 county commission race. Siddique received 6,070 votes (61.07%) and Culbreath received 3,870 votes (38.93%). Siddique now faces Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the general election in November.
The District 3 commissioner directly represents a district that includes Anna Maria Island, Cortez, a portion of Longboat Key and portions of Bradenton. Of the 9,940 votes cast in the District 3 race, approximately 14% were cast by Anna Maria Island voters.
District 7
In the countywide at-large District 7 Republican primary, Kruse, the incumbent, received 24,225 votes (58.43%) and Van Ostenbridge received 17,232 (41.57%). Kruse now faces Democratic candidate Sari Lindroos- Valimaki in the general election.
In late May, Van Ostenbridge dropped his District 3 reelection bid and chose instead to challenge Kruse in the countywide District 7 race. Culbreath then dropped out of the District 7 race and entered the District 3 race instead.
Supervisor of elections
In the Supervisor of Elections race open to Republican voters countywide, Farrington received 24,327 votes (58.79%) and Satcher received 17,051 (41.21%). With no Democratic candidate in the general election, Farrington’s primary victory means he’ll return to his former workplace on Jan. 7.
Farrington spent 12 years working at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office before resigning in April after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher, then the District 1 county commissioner, to serve the remaining months of the four-year term that long-time supervisor Mike Bennett vacated in March. Despite his primary loss, Satcher will remain in office until Jan. 7 and will still oversee the upcoming general election.
School board
Island voters helped determine the top two vote-getters in the non-party-affiliated District 3 school board race. Charlie Kennedy received 7,370 votes (47.53%). Jon Lynch, a Pedicini client, received 4,655 (30.02%) and Anna Maria resident Perri Ann Parkman received 3,481 votes (22.45%). Because no candidate received 50%-plus-one additional vote, Kennedy and Lynch will face off in the general election.
Non-island races
Several other primary races were decided without input from Island voters. Seeking to fill the District 1 commission seat Satcher vacated, Carol Ann Felts defeated Steve Metallo in that Republican primary and now faces Democratic candidate Glenn Pearson and non-party-affiliated candidate Jennifer Hamey in the general election.
In the District 5 county commission race, Robert “Bob” McCann defeated DeSantis appointee Ray Turner and now faces non-party-affiliated candidate Joseph Di Bartolomeo in the general election.
Heather Felton and Mark Stanoch were the top two vote getters in the District 1 school board race and will face each other in the general election.
Voter turnout
Voter turnout was 24.86%, with 68,211 of Manatee County’s 274,383 registered voters participating in the primary. Voter turnout was 40% in Anna Maria, 36% in Holmes Beach and 33% in Bradenton Beach, with 1,411 of Anna Maria Island’s 3,848 registered voters casting votes.
According to the elections office, 2,316 non-Republican county voters switched their party affiliation to Republican to participate in the Republican primary.
Post-election reaction
“I am thrilled with the results of the election,” Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said. “Talk about a clean sweep! I feel the threat of a parking garage in our city has passed with the results of this election. I have great relations with all current candidates and they are all big supporters of home rule and assisting Holmes Beach as needed. I attended the watch party with Scott Farrington, George Kruse and Tal Saddique and it was a memorable and exciting night.”
Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said, “The election turned out to be a great day for Manatee County and the Island cities. The winning candidates took the time to visit the city and look at the parking improvements we have completed. Those candidates spoke about their objection to the parking garage and the consolidation of the Island cities.”
Speaking on behalf of herself and her husband, Richard, Holmes Beach resident Margie Motzer said, “This was our best-case scenario; it was not only a clean sweep, but they were all very decisive wins. Those who care about good governance couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. It should not only send a message to the ‘developer darlings’ and their political consultant, but it was also a repudiation of the local developers backing them.
“In addition, it should send a clear message to the remaining commissioners that voters want good governance, fair representation, ethics, integrity, accountability and clean grassroots campaigns – not smear campaigns with a deluge of mailers and attack ads containing false or misleading information.
“We believe this election will go down in the history books. We believe the proposed parking garage will not have the same support it had under the commissioners who will be leaving office. However, we hope the whole experience will encourage a team effort between city and county officials to look at alternative solutions,” Motzer said.
Siddique reaction
“By running a grassroots campaign as a first-time, unknown candidate I knew I had a difficult path ahead of me,” Siddique said. “I believe this win can be attributed to having the right message, a strong work ethic and great local media that kept voters informed. Voters want someone who will represent them fairly instead of casting them aside for developers or special interest groups. I take the results as a signal that voters are tired of negative campaigning with fiery rhetoric. I was disgusted with the outright lies spread about my work history, the involvement of elected officials in supporting that campaign and the attacks on my wife. We have filed a number of cease-and-desist letters against SIMWINS (Pedicini) and other organizations and are not ruling out future legal action.
“I was in the room with George Kruse and Scott Farrington with dozens of our supporters on election night. As the results came in, I could feel hope and optimism fill the air throughout the night until we reached the crescendo when we realized that not only did Scott win, but that we would see a total shift on the board of county commissioners. I am grateful to all the local journalists, volunteers, political clubs, community organizations, grassroots Facebook groups and Manatee County voters for having the courage to act and fight for their community,” Siddique said.
Farrington reaction
“I am incredibly humbled by the trust that the voters have placed in me,” Farrington said. “I believe the outcome of the election shows the voters want to trust their elections office. I was very optimistic going into election day, but the margin was greater than I expected.”
Regarding the campaign tactics utilized by SIMWINS and Satcher’s campaign, Farrington said, “These tactics are designed to affect the less informed voter; and in my conversations, it seemed more voters had taken an interest and become involved. However, the ads and mailers were constant and deceptive and I didn’t discount that they would have an effect. I hope the outcome of this election will set a new tone for future campaigns. I believe these results prove that you do not need to bombard voters with constant negativity, and it shows that voters want engaged candidates that are willing to communicate and speak to them.”
Looking ahead to the general election to be conducted under Satcher’s supervision, minus four elections office employees that Satcher fired after the primary election, Farrington said, “I want the November election to go well. I am concerned about what I have read in the letters from the staff and I am concerned about the lack of knowledge that the office now has.”
Kruse reaction
“Tuesday, Aug. 20 was a pivotal day for Manatee County. The entire community, regardless of party or affiliation, came together to show the special interests that we are now, and forever will be, an informed voter base,” Kruse said. “The tactics of recent election cycles will no longer convince unsuspecting voters to vote against their best interests. The collective efforts of everyone in our county have turned the tide of our government and our future for the better. I am excited and optimistic about the next four years and beyond for Manatee County. Thank you everyone for your efforts, your resolve and your support this primary season.”
MANATEE COUNTY – Interim Supervisor of Elections James Satcher fired one elections office employee as the primary election wound down and three more the following day.
On the evening of Aug. 20, vote-by-mail employee Mark Darnell was fired. On Aug. 21, 16-year elections office employee Chris Palmer was fired, as were long-time temporary employees Teresa Margraf and Harriet “Heddy” Darnell, Mark Darnell’s mom. None of the fired employees were given a reason for their dismissal.
The firings occurred after Satcher was defeated in his bid to be Manatee County’s next duly elected Supervisor of Elections. That office will instead go to former Supervisor of Elections Chief of Staff Scott Farrington.
Farrington defeated Satcher in the Supervisor of Elections Republican primary race by 7,276 votes. With only a write-in challenger in the general election, Farrington will assume the supervisor’s role on Jan. 7, but Satcher remains in charge of the elections office through and beyond the general election in November.
In April, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher, a county commissioner at the time, to finish the remaining months of the four-year term that Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett vacated when he retired in March. At the time, Satcher had no experience managing an elections office or running an election. Farrington resigned after Satcher’s appointment and ran for office.
Plea to DeSantis
On Aug. 23, Heddy Darnell sent a 1,300-word email to DeSantis, the Florida Division of Elections and the Florida Commission on Ethics.
In part, Darnell’s email said, “This is a plea from the voters and people in Manatee County. We are asking you to please remove James Satcher as supervisor of elections as soon as possible. He lost the primary to Scott Farrington and has now fired four people in retaliation.”
James Satcher suffered a resounding loss in the primary election. – Manatee County | Submitted
Darnell’s email also said, “The voters have spoken in Manatee County. Please help the county before more damage is done. Mr. Satcher needs to be removed. Scott Farrington needs to be put in command of this election in November. Mr. Satcher’s retaliation is hurting innocent people personally and financially. Please hear us.”
Ex-employees speak
On Aug. 23, The Sun spoke with Darnell about her firing. The Sun also spoke with Palmer and Margraf, who were together at the time.
Darnell had worked at the elections office since 2016. During the election cycles that take place every two years, she begins working full-time in February, takes a couple of months off during the slow period, returns in July and works through the November election. Her duties included data entry, registering new voters, making changes to voter records, answering voter questions and more.
“I was fired at about quarter to five on Wednesday, the day after the election. I was told my services were no longer needed. Period,” Darnell said.
She then shared her observations on Satcher’s performance, spending habits and the work environment he created.
“He was never there. He was there maybe 10% of the time, making $176,000 a year. He was very egotistical. He had the walls painted a particular color blue because it made his eyes pop. He bought a podium that he was going to use to speak in a room about the size of a large living room. He thought he was going to speak to his fans and his people that elected him, but it never got used because he never got elected,” Darnell said.
Regarding Satcher’s handpicked chief of staff, David Ballard, Darnell said, “Satcher pretty much dumped the whole show on him. Ballard’s very cocky. He’d come in with a baseball hat on backwards, just strutting around and issuing orders and being a big shot. It was uncomfortable and nobody knew quite how to talk to him.”
Satcher hired 24-year-old Jonathan Clendenon to be his IT (information technology) director.
“He was pretty much a snitch. All he’d do was walk around and listen to people and report back to Satcher. Jonathan couldn’t figure out how to work the printers so Satcher bought all new ones for early voting,” Darnell said.
Satcher also hired Vinola Rodrigues as the election office’s new public information officer.
“All she did was work on his campaign,” Darnell said.
When asked if she hopes to return for the 2026 elections, Darnell said, “Yes, I’d like to go back. I enjoy the voters. I enjoy the work and I’m very knowledgeable. I’m retired and it supplements my income. It’s only every other year that I work, but it’s a great opportunity.”
Palmer began working at the elections office when Bob Sweat was the supervisor. She then worked the entirety of Mike Bennett’s tenure as supervisor. Palmer is a Master Florida Certified Election Professional and was the voter service supervisor.
“I have never had any concerns with Mr. Sweat and Mr. Bennett. I had complete confidence that everything was above-board. I was proud to be in that office and I knew things were going to be done properly,” she said.
Palmer was fired at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Aug. 21.
“Ballard and Jonathan came up to my desk and Ballard said, ‘Your services are no longer required. Here’s your boxes. Pack them up and get out.’ I was in shock. After I got over the shock, I chased him down and said, ‘Tell me what I’ve done.’ He said, ‘Your services are no longer required.’
“In 16 years, I’ve had no write-ups and no warnings. None of us who got fired got any warnings. To fire people because you’re mad about losing the election is crazy and it can’t continue. We are good people in that office. If I could get a free lawyer, I’d sue in a heartbeat,” Palmer said.
Palmer hopes to return to the elections office when Farrington returns, but she’s concerned about the loss of income between now and then and she’s filing for unemployment benefits.
“I loved that job. I loved what I did,” she said.
Margraf was fired in a similar fashion.
She and Palmer said that Satcher didn’t show up for work the day after the election.
“He doesn’t have the guts to do things himself. He sends Ballard or Jonathan to do his dirty work,” Margraf said.
When recalling her first encounter with Satcher, Palmer said, “He walks in with a Bible and puts it on the table and tells us this story about how he’s a minister and his wife saves strippers. That was our first impression. I’m a Christian, but I believe in separation. I have my beliefs and my partisan beliefs, but I don’t take them to work. He has no boundaries. He doesn’t turn it off.
“They have their doors locked almost all day. Almost everything they do is behind closed doors. That, to me, was a bad sign,” Palmer said. “Mr. Bennett and Scott Farrington rarely had their doors closed and never had them locked. They had nothing to hide.”
Palmer said Satcher yelled at her during a managers’ meeting after she told him his plan to open satellite offices in Parrish and Lakewood Ranch before the primary election was “crazy.”
“He just lit into me. I held it together, but I was in tears later. I’ve never had a boss talk to me like that,” Palmer said.
“I learned that I’m not allowed to have an opinion and I’m certainly not allowed to voice anything different than what he wants,” Palmer said, noting her beloved workplace became a “dictatorship.”
“We’ve got 78 days before the general election and they let go of one of their most knowledgeable employees. I was the supervisor and I took care of everything in that department. Satcher and Ballard do not understand the procedures of the office,” Palmer said.
“They have no clue,” Margraf added.
As for who will fill the four recently-vacated positions, Palmer said, “New people that don’t know what they’re doing.”
“After Satcher got appointed, a lot of our poll workers who’d been here for years refused to work under him, so they were scrambling right up to the end trying to train new poll workers,” Margraf said.
When asked if they were nervous about the primary election being conducted properly, Palmer said, “Yes. Definitely.”
“Everybody was nervous about it. A lot of people in the office can’t speak up because they need their jobs and they’re afraid,” Margraf added. “I don’t think things ran quite as smoothly as they normally do, but it did get done.”
“Satcher needs to be removed immediately and there’s a petition going around trying to get him removed,” Palmer said, with Margraf in agreement.
Bradenton Times Publisher Joe McClash has initiated a petition drive seeking Satcher’s removal. The online petition can be found here.
Bennett’s insights
When contacted by The Sun, Bennett said he’s willing to serve as the appointed supervisor until Jan. 7, if needed.
Regarding the firings, Bennett said, “He fired four people that combined had close to 30 years of experience. We’re going into one of the most controversial presidential races we’ve had in quite a while. You’re going to have an 80%-plus voter turnout. In the primary, they had a little less than 25%. You can imagine what’s going to happen when you have 80% turnout without having the people around to do it. Everybody can be replaced, but can they be replaced and pick up what they need to know in such a short period of time? No, they can’t. It’s a real shame. He is not a manager. A manager would have never done something so silly as to relieve so many important people going into the biggest election he’s ever going to have – and he only has one more,” Bennett said.
When asked if he’s concerned about the general election, Bennett said, “Yes, I have big concerns about it, especially if he fires one or two more people.”
MANATEE COUNTY – Manatee County’s Republican voters opted for change during today’s primary election.
In doing so, the county’s registered Republican voters rejected the far right, hyper-partisan political atmosphere that has dominated Manatee County politics since 2020.
Five of the primary losers utilized Anthony Pedicini’s Tampa-based Strategic Image Management (SIMWINS) political consulting firm.
Five of Anthony Pedicini’s six Manatee County clients lost their Republican primary races. – Submitted
The unofficial election results posted at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website must still be certified by the independent three-member canvassing board. Subject to potential change, the vote totals listed in this story were as of 8 p.m. Tuesday evening, with some mail ballots still being counted. Voter turnout was 23.57%, with 64,683 of Manatee County’s 274,385 registered voters participating in the primary election.
Supervisor of Elections
Former Supervisor of Elections Office Chief of Staff Scott Farrington will serve a four-year term as Manatee County’s next elected supervisor of elections, having defeated incumbent gubernatorial appointee James Satcher.
Scott Farrington will serve as Manatee County’s elected Supervisor of Elections. – Submitted
In the closed primary race that was open to registered Republican voters only, Farrington received 23,376 votes (58.92%) and Satcher received 16,299 votes (41.08%). Because there is no Democratic challenger in this fall’s general election, Farrington wins the supervisor of elections race.
County Commission races
Tal Siddique defeated April Culbreath in the District 3 county commission race that pitted two first-time candidates against each other in a closed primary race open only to registered Republicans who reside in District 3 – a district that includes Anna Maria Island, Cortez, a portion of Longboat Key and a portion of Bradenton.
Tal Siddique won the District 3 Republican primary. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
Siddique received 5,783 votes (60.91%) and Culbreath received 3,712 votes (39.09%). Siddique will now face Democratic candidate Diana Shoemaker in the District 3 general election race that concludes on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
George Kruse will continue serving as the District 7 county commissioner. – Submitted
Incumbent District 7 at-large Commissioner George Kruse defeated current District 3 Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge in the District 7 Republican primary race. Kruse received 23,245 votes (58.48%) and Van Ostenbridge received 16,503 votes (41.52%). Kruse will now face Democratic candidate Sari Lindroos-Valimaki in the general election.
Seeking to fill the District 1 county commission seat that Satcher vacated in April – when Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher to serve the remaining months of former Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett’s four-year term – Carol Ann Felts defeated Steve Metallo in the District 1 Republican primary. Felts received 5,427 votes (54.07%) and Metallo received 4,610 votes (45.93%). Felts will now face Democratic candidate Glenn Pearson and non-party-affiliated candidate Jennifer Hamey in the District 1 general election.
In the County Commission District 5 race, Robert “Bob” McCann defeated gubernatorial appointee Ray Turner. McCann received 5,744 votes (54.31%) and Turner received 4,833 votes (45.69%). McCann will now face non-party-affiliated candidate Joseph Di Bartolomeo.
Property Appraiser, Clerk, Sheriff
In a countywide race open to all voters, Incumbent Manatee County Property Appraiser Charles Hackney defeated Republican challenger Darin George. Hackney received 48,830 (80.98%) votes and George received 11,469 votes (19.02%).
Running unopposed, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller Angel Colonneso will serve another four-year term in that role. Running unopposed, Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells will serve another four-year term as sheriff.
School board races
Charlie Kennedy was the leading vote getter in the non-party-affiliated District 3 school board race. Kennedy received 6,970 votes (47.39%). Jon Lynch, a Pedicini client, received 4,426 votes (30.09%) and Anna Maria resident Perri Ann Parkman received 3,311 votes (22.51%). Because no candidate received a 50%-plus-one additional vote, Kennedy and Lynch will face off in the general election.
Heather Felton was the leading vote-getter in the District 1 school board race. Felton received 6,100 votes (38.96%), Mark Stanoch received 4,960 votes (31.68%) and Alex Garner received 4,596 votes (29.36%). Because none of these candidates secured a 50%-plus-one additional vote, the top two vote-getters, Felton and Stanoch, will face each other in the general election.
Island city races
The winners of the Anna Maria mayor’s race and the Holmes Beach city commission race will be determined in the general election this fall.
MANATEE COUNTY – The access code to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections’ tabulation and ballot storage room will be changed to prevent Interim Supervisor James Satcher from entering that room because he is a candidate in the primary election.
The access removal occurred during the Aug. 6 Manatee County canvassing board meeting at the request of congressional candidate Eddie Speir and other meeting attendees. During the meeting, the canvassing board determined the Clear Ballot auditing system Satcher recently purchased will not be used in the primary election, which concludes on Aug. 20 with early voting and mail voting already underway.
ACCESS REMOVED
Speir is running against Vern Buchanan in the 16th congressional district Republican primary. Speir attended the Tuesday morning canvassing board meeting and recapped the meeting in a Facebook reel he posted later that day. In his Facebook reel, Speir expressed concerns about Satcher’s connections to political consultant Anthony Pedicini and a political action committee chaired by Pedicini.
Congressional candidate Eddie Speir requested Satcher’s ballot room access be removed. – EddieSpeirForCongress.com | Submitted
“James Satcher is connected and receiving money from Anthony Pedicini and the developers. Because of that, I’m immediately concerned about access to ballots. James Satcher has already broken rules and protocols that are put in place to ensure the integrity of the election. The tabulation and the ballot storage room are critically important. Nobody’s allowed in there alone, but Satcher said he is allowed to do this.”
While addressing the canvassing board, Speir said, “I request that James Satcher have his access removed from the room. I think that would go a long way to building voter confidence – the same way Mike Bennett did.”
After a brief discussion, Satcher agreed to abide by the same non-access protocols former Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett practiced when he was seeking reelection.
“They’re changing the code so he does not have access to the tabulation room and the ballot storage room and vote by mail. This is huge, thank you very much,” Speir told the board.
CLEAR BALLOT DELAYED
Bennett retired on March 1 with nine months remaining in his four-year term. In April, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher – a sitting county commissioner with no experience supervising an election – to serve the remainder of Bennett’s term. DeSantis chose Satcher over Bennett’s longtime chief of staff, Scott Farrington.
Farrington resigned after Satcher’s appointment but had already launched his election campaign to serve as Bennett’s elected successor. Farrington and Satcher now face each other in the Republican primary that will determine who serves as Supervisor of Elections for the next four years.
On July 25, Satcher issued a press release announcing the purchase of the Clear Ballot audit system.
According to the press release, “A third-party, independent audit of 100% of our election results is going to help secure our elections and increase voter confidence and trust in the election process. The system utilizes high-speed scanners to rescan and tabulate ballots for a comprehensive verification of results, completely independent of the primary voting system.”
The system cost $179,615, plus an additional $25,000 for software.
The Supervisor of Elections office purchased the Clear Ballot audit system in July. – Manatee County | Submitted
The canvassing board consists of County Court Judge Melissa Gould, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office General Counsel Eric Werbeck and Bradenton City Councilwoman Lisa Gonzalez Moore. According to the public notice issued in advance of the meeting, the board was to conduct a logic and accuracy test of the tabulating equipment and reporting software to be used during the election, including early voting. Speir videotaped the board meeting and shared some of his footage in a Facebook reel he posted later that day. Speir’s footage included public input given by Farrington.
Former Chief of Staff Scott Farrington stressed the need to follow established election regulations and protocols. – VoteScottFarrington.com | Submitted
When addressing the board, Farrington said he hadn’t heard them reference administrative rule 1S-5.026. The rule includes the procedures manual for a post-election certification voting systems audit. It also establishes the requirements and procedures that canvassing board members are to ensure are followed and gives the board the responsibility and authority to decide whether the Clear Ballot system is used.
“I have not heard a motion on whether or not you’d be using this audit system,” Farrington said.
Farrington expressed concerns about the meeting notice not referencing the Clear Ballot system.
“The rule requires the canvassing board to conduct a test of the automated system. I’m unaware that the canvassing board has done so,” Farrington said.
He also said, “I am concerned about the security procedures and whether or not they’ve been updated to accommodate early voting ballots. My understanding is that early voting ballots will be processed on an ongoing process before the end of the election. I believe the security procedures must be changed to accommodate the security of those ballots as they are coming back and the seals are broken and they are processed through the system,” Farrington said.
Speir’s video footage didn’t include the board’s actual vote. When contacted later in the week, Farrington confirmed the board voted 3-0 to not use the Clear Ballot system for the primary election because the public notice for the board meeting didn’t reference it.
“They didn’t look at any of the other things that I mentioned because the notice wasn’t proper for the audit system,” Farrington said.
He also noted the Supervisor of Elections is required to maintain security measures that include the security of early voting ballots as they’re transported, tabulated and stored.
“I could not see where those had been adjusted to accommodate the movement of the ballots that was going to be required for the audit,” Farrington said. “What normally happens is they seal the early voting ballot at the early voting site, transport it back to the elections office and then they’re stored. For the audit, they’re going to have to break that seal, process them through the audit equipment, reseal them and store them. Those are extra steps. I’m not saying it’s impossible to do, I’m just saying the security procedures are supposed to be written so everybody knows what security measures are in place.”
He said he later obtained a copy of the security procedures that had not been adjusted accordingly.
Farrington expects the Clear Ballot system to be used for the general election in November.
“There’s plenty of time for them to do everything properly and use it in the general election. I was not objecting to the use of the Clear Ballot. I was just asking the canvassing board to make sure all the requirements had been met if they were going to use it,” Farrington said.
I am a lifelong Republican and a 20+ year Manatee County, Florida resident. I have always supported you and your policies – until recently.
It greatly troubled me when you appointed totally unqualified and inexperienced James Satcher to Manatee County Supervisor of Elections (instead of Scott Farrington, who is both highly qualified and experienced and who was whole-heartedly recommended by former SOE Mike Bennett upon his retirement). But now, I am frankly horrified that you have endorsed Kevin Van Ostenbridge for Manatee County BOCC District 7 At Large.
It appears that you have become very badly compromised and are now merely a puppet who is controlled by the “political consultant” Anthony Pedicini and his SIMwins organization of Tampa, Bill Galvano and Real Estate Developers Pat Neal and Carlos Beruff.
I’ve lost all respect for you and will no longer be able to support you for any elected office. I have spoken with many other residents of Manatee County and they all agree with me and feel the same.
I pray that the voters will awaken and see through and understand Pedicini’s lies and deception and your foolish weakness before they vote in the Aug. 20 primary. I also pray that you will repent and redeem yourself before you cause irreparable damage to your political future.
MANATEE COUNTY – The Supervisor of Elections Office will conduct post-election audits for all election contests, beginning with the upcoming primary election that concludes on Aug. 20.
On July 25, Interim Supervisor of Elections James Satcher issued a press release that noted Manatee County is the 37th Florida county to implement the Clear Ballot audit system.
“When I was appointed by Gov. DeSantis, I reached out to other counties to ask what advice they had to enhance the security and integrity of our elections, and the number one suggestion was the Clear Ballot system,” Satcher stated in the press release. “A third-party, independent audit of 100% of our election results is going to help secure our elections and increase voter confidence and trust in the election process.”
The press release notes Clear Ballot’s technology is tested and certified for use by the Florida Department of State for post-election audits.
“The system utilizes high-speed scanners to rescan and tabulate ballots for a comprehensive verification of results, completely independent of the primary voting system,” the press release notes.
James Satcher is serving as the Interim Supervisor of Elections. – Manatee County | Submitted
“Supervisor James Satcher’s office remains dedicated to ensuring a fair, lawful and secure election process for all citizens of Manatee County,” the press release said in conclusion.
According to Supervisor of Elections Office Public Information Officer Vinola Rodrigues, the Clear Ballot system cost $179,615, plus an additional $25,000 in software costs.
Clear Ballot debated
On March 1, longtime Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett retired. On April 12, DeSantis appointed Satcher to serve the remaining seven months of Bennett’s four-year term. At the time, Satcher was a first-term county commissioner who had no experience running an election or an election office. Bennett’s longtime chief of staff, Scott Farrington, also sought the gubernatorial appointment and resigned after DeSantis appointed Satcher.
With no Democratic candidate in the race, the Aug. 20 Republican primary election will determine whether Satcher or Farrington serves as Manatee County’s elections supervisor for the next four years.
On June 19, the Lakewood Ranch Republican Club hosted a candidate forum, during which Satcher and Farrington discussed the Clear Ballot system. Forum moderator Bruce Stamm noted there have been very few complaints or reported problems with past Manatee County elections. Stamm also noted the county commission recently provided the elections office (at Satcher’s request) with an additional $841,340 for the final four months of the 2023-24 fiscal year that ends Sept. 30. Stamm asked the candidates what problems the elections office is trying to solve.
Satcher acknowledged Manatee County elections have been mostly complaint-free, but there have been problematic elections elsewhere in Florida.
“Clear Ballot is going to audit every single vote that’s cast in Manatee County. Every single vote in Manatee County’s going to be double-checked. This election’s going to be audited,” Satcher proclaimed.
He also said implementing the Clear Ballot system before the general election would help prevent “liberals” from challenging the election results.
Former elections office Chief of Staff Scott Farrington hopes to serve as Manatee County’s next Supervisor of Elections. -VoteScottFarrington.com | Submitted
In response, Farrington said, “The Clear Ballot system is one that Mike Bennett and I looked at. It was a system we may have even chosen to implement in 2025. I’m not about to say it’s a bad system by design, but I’m not sure it was necessary. You’re looking to implement it inside of four months. It’s not a simple thing to do. For a system like that, you would want six months to a year to implement, test and make sure people were trained.”
Bennett’s insights
When contacted by The Sun and asked about the Clear Ballot audit system, Bennett said, “This is a system that Scott Farrington and I studied for about four years. We looked at voting recounts, ballot errors and studied the last major recount and the cost of doing it. Our study showed that for Manatee County, and counties of our size, the cost did not make sense.
“If Satcher would have waited to study the election results after being on the job for a couple of years, and a few elections, he then would be able to make an intelligent decision instead of wasting the taxpayers’ money. Spending other people’s money is what many liberal politicians do. True conservatives watch and protect the taxpayers’ money. Scott Farrington would protect the taxpayers’ money,” Bennett said.
MANATEE COUNTY – Three more Republican candidates seeking office in Manatee County have reported campaign expenditures made to Anthony Pedicini’s Tampa-based Strategic Image Management (SIMWINS) political consulting firm.
Pedicini and his firm utilize television ads and campaign mailers to promote their Manatee County clients as true conservatives while painting their Republican primary opponents who may hold more moderate views as liberals.
Anthony Pedicini’s firm represents six Manatee County candidates. – Facebook | Submitted
During the July 13-19 campaign reporting period, District 3 Manatee County Commission candidate April Culbreath, District 1 County Commission candidate Steve Metallo and District 3 Manatee County School Board candidate Jonathan Lynch listed their first reported campaign payments to SIMWINS, according to campaign treasurer reports on the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website.
On July 18, Culbreath’s campaign paid SIMWINS $46,802 for campaign mailers and $800 for palm cards. Culbreath’s campaign has sent out numerous mailers since her District 3 campaign began.
On July 15, Metallo’s campaign paid SIMWINS $40,110 for mailers.
On July 15, Lynch’s campaign paid SIMWINS $4,850 for yard signs.
During the same reporting period, Supervisor of Elections candidate James Satcher, District 7 at-large County Commission candidate Kevin Van Ostenbridge and District 5 County Commission candidate Ray Turner made additional payments to SIMWINS.
On July 15, Satcher’s campaign paid SIMWINS $6,484 for text messaging services and $20,000 for a media ad. On July 17, Satcher’s campaign paid SIMWINS an additional $15,000 for a media ad. To date, Satcher’s campaign has reported paying SIMWINS $82,929.
On July 18, Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s campaign paid SIMWINS $95,000 for a media ad. To date, Van Ostenbridge’s campaign has reported paying SIMWINS $193,420.
On July 17, Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $48,562 for mailers. To date, Turner’s campaign has reported paying SIMWINS $66,072.
To date, the six Republican candidates have reported paying SIMWINS a total of $434,983.
Mail voting has begun for the primary election that concludes on Aug. 20. In-person early voting will take place at various polling locations Saturday, Aug. 10 through Saturday, Aug. 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
MANATEE COUNTY – During a recent Supervisor of Elections debate, candidate James Satcher refused to acknowledge he’s using Anthony Pedicini as his political consultant.
Manatee County Commission candidates Kevin Van Ostenbridge and Ray Turner are also utilizing the campaign consulting services of Pedicini and his Tampa-based Strategic Image Management (SIMWINS) consulting firm.
Political consultant Anthony Pedicini has become a major figure in Manatee County politics. – Facebook | Submitted
In 2020, Pedicini helped Satcher, Van Ostenbridge, George Kruse and Vanessa Baugh win their respective Manatee County Commission races and he remains actively involved in Manatee County politics.
Supervisor’s race
On April 12, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher, then the District 1 county commissioner, to serve the remaining months of the four-year term that Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett vacated when he retired in March.
Bennett’s longtime Chief of Staff Scott Farrington also sought the gubernatorial appointment and he resigned after DeSantis appointed Satcher, who had no previous experience working in an elections office or supervising an election.Farrington and Satcher now face each other in the Republican primary race that concludes on Aug. 20. With no Democratic candidate in the general election, the primary will determine who serves as Manatee County’s Supervisor of Elections for the next four years.
On June 19, the Lakewood Ranch Republican Club hosted a debate between Farrington and Satcher. The first question posed by the moderator sought the names of the political consultants and the consulting firms being utilized by the two candidates.
“I’m tempted not to answer that question. I don’t know what it has to do with my performance as the Supervisor of Elections. Sure, I have a political consultant,” Satcher responded without disclosing the name of his consultant or consulting firm.
After noting that Satcher didn’t answer the question, Farrington said he’s received informal consultation from Bennett and one of Bennett’s past associates. According to Farrington’s campaign treasurer’s reports, he had spent no money on political consulting services as of July 13.
According to Satcher’s campaign treasurer’s reports, Satcher has paid Pedicini’s SIMWINS consulting firm $41,445 during the current 2024 election cycle. On June 21, two days after the debate, Satcher’s Supervisor of Elections campaign paid SIMWINS $40,000 for media services. On Feb. 6, Satcher’s now-suspended District 1 county commission campaign paid SIMWINS $1,250 for consulting services. On March 15, Satcher’s District 1 campaign paid SIMWINS $195 for a WebElect subscription.
Additional clients
In late May, Van Ostenbridge suspended his District 3 reelection bid and decided instead to run against Kruse in the countywide District 7 race that now pits two sitting commissioners against each other.
Kevin Van Ostenbridge’s campaign recently spent $83,500 for campaign-related media services provided by SIMWINS. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
According to campaign treasurer’s reports, Van Ostenbridge’s campaign paid SIMWINS $98,420 for consulting services as of June 28. On June 24, Van Ostenbridge’s District 7 campaign paid SIMWINS $83,500 for media services. On Nov. 2, Van Ostenbridge’s District 1 campaign paid SIMWINS $3,915 for campaign consulting services. On Feb. 26, Van Ostenbridge’s District 1 campaign paid SIMWINS $3,950 for advertising and consulting services.
Appointed county commissioner Ray Turner is using Anthony Pedicini’s SIMWINS consulting firm for his current election campaign. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
To date, Turner’s District 1 campaign has paid SIMWINS $17,510. On June 17, Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $11,565 for services related to a petition mailer. On Jan. 31, April 23 and May 18, Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $1,250 for consulting services on each of those occasions.
On Dec. 26, Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $750 for campaign notecards. On Dec. 7, Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $1,250 for consulting services. On Nov. 7, Turner’s campaign paid SIMWINS $195 for an online subscription.
Satcher, Van Ostenbridge and Turner each list Wendy White as their campaign treasurer, as do District 1 county commission candidate Steve Metallo, District 3 county commission candidate April Culbreath and District 3 Manatee County School Board candidate Jonathan Lynch. White’s Campaign Accounting Services LLC lists the same Tampa address as Pedicini’s SIMWINS firm. According to their campaign treasurer’s reports, Metallo, Culbreath and Lynch did not list any campaign expenditures made to Pedicini or SIMWINS as of June 28.
KVO attack ad
Van Ostenbridge’s campaign is currently airing a TV campaign ad that makes the following claims about Kruse: “When radical environmentalists backed by George Soros attacked our property rights, spineless Kruse sided with Soros. When the liberal media called DeSantis the village idiot for securing our elections, Kruse sided with the liberal media. Spineless George Kruse, so liberal he’s basically a Democrat.”
On July 8, Kruse published a lengthy written rebuttal at his Substack website.
“Before qualifying even ended, over $50,000 of airtime was bought to run an attack ad entirely devoid of facts,” Kruse wrote. “As he (Van Ostenbridge) can’t run on any fact-based record, the assumption is the baseless attacks will continue until Aug. 20. The broadest of their attacks is that I’m a liberal, communist, Democrat, RINO (Republican in Name Only), whatever term they have on hand at that time. Their definition of ‘conservative’ is so warped at this point that it’s lost all meaning. They have fought tax cuts, spent your hard-earned money freely on pork projects they can campaign on, grown government to stratospheric levels and weaponized their power against their residents and your voice. No self-respecting Republican would want to be associated with whatever brand of ‘conservative’ these people are.
“They further try to claim that any news (agency) is liberal if they don’t bow down to their corrupt and destructive actions. Even The Observer, by far the most conservative paper in town, was called the ‘liberal media’ in their pathetic TV ad for daring to have an opinion different than theirs,” Kruse wrote.
George Kruse seeks re-election to the at-large District 7 county commission seat. – George Kruse | Submitted
Regarding the ad’s claim about his views on DeSantis, Kruse wrote, “I’m not a member of a cult and I don’t blindly believe every single thing a politician does is correct. I fully believe the governor made a huge mistake appointing our current Supervisor of Elections (Satcher) over a far more experienced and qualified candidate in Scott Farrington. I would venture to guess 99% of informed Manatee County residents feel the same way. These are non-partisan issues that need the voice of the entire electorate.”
Regarding non-Republicans switching their party affiliation to Republicans to vote in the Republican primary, Kruse wrote, “The other side has no problem filing fake ghost candidates as write-ins to lock down primaries so they can use their ‘more conservative than you’ playbook.”
During the recent debate, Satcher referred to the completely legal practice of changing party affiliation as “election interference.”
“When we recommend non-Republicans change their party to have a voice in the governing of their county, it’s called election interference,” Kruse wrote. “Their playbook only works if they can con the furthest right of the base. If others start paying attention, they have no counter for that.”
Kruse noted July 22 is the deadline for voters to change their party affiliation at registertovoteflorida.gov.
MANATEE COUNTY – Manatee County Supervisor of Elections candidates Scott Farrington and James Satcher squared off in a June 19 debate hosted by the Lakewood Ranch Republican Club. After the debate, both candidates issued debate-related campaign messages.
In April, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher to serve the remaining months of the four-year Supervisor of Elections term that Mike Bennett vacated when he retired in March. Satcher was serving as the District 1 county commissioner at the time. Farrington, then the Supervisor of Elections Chief of Staff, also sought the gubernatorial appointment and resigned from office the day it was awarded to Satcher.
With no Democratic candidate entered in the race, the winner of the Aug. 20 Republican primary election will serve as Supervisor of Elections for the next four years.
When non-party-affiliated candidate Thomas Dell joined the race as a write-in, the Supervisor of Elections primary race became closed to all but registered Republican voters. Because of Dell’s actions, Democrat and non-party-affiliated voters can’t vote in the closed primary. Dell also served as a primary-closing write-in candidate in 2020 and 2012.
Opening remarks
Lakewood Ranch Republican Club Vice President Bruce Stamm moderated the debate, asking questions club members submitted in advance.
During his opening remarks, Satcher said, “I came into politics kicking and screaming. My background is in ministry and that’s not something I’m ashamed of.”
Satcher noted he received 66% of the District 1 votes cast in the 2020 election and was one of the county commission’s most conservative leaders during his time in office.
“On April 12th, the governor of Florida appointed me the Supervisor of Elections and I’m proud to serve in that capacity,” he added.
Farrington said he worked in the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections office for 10 years before spending the past 11 years working in the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office and serving as Bennett’s chief of staff.
“I’m going to venture a guess that most of you voted in Manatee County before and I’m also going to say you had a good experience in that process and you trusted that when you cast that ballot, that ballot was counted the way you intended. Mike Bennett, myself and the staff at the elections office did that for 11 years with the highest level of integrity, the highest level of security and that’s what experience gets you. It also gets it to you on a budget, without cutting corners.”
Debate topics
The first question Stamm posed sought the name of the candidates’ campaign consultants and consulting firms.
Satcher refused to divulge the name of his campaign consultant and said, “I’m tempted not to answer that question. I don’t know what it has to do with my performance as the Supervisor of Elections. Sure, I have a political consultant.”
Satcher’s Appointment of Campaign Treasurer form lists Wendy White as his campaign treasurer. White shares the same Tampa address as political consultant Anthony Pedicini’s Strategic Image Management (SIMWINS) consulting firm. According to Satcher’s June 15 campaign treasurer’s report, his campaign paid Pedicini’s SIMWINS consulting firm $40,000 on June 1.
James Satcher’s campaign paid Anthony Pedicini’s SIMWINS consulting firm $40,000 on June 1. – Manatee County Supervisor of Elections | Submitted
Satcher, Kevin Van Ostenbridge, George Kruse and Vanessa Baugh utilized Pedicini’s services during their successful 2020 county commission campaigns and White is currently serving as campaign treasurer for Van Ostenbridge, fellow county commission candidates April Culbreath, Ray Turner and Steve Metallo and school board candidate Jonathan Lynch.
After noting that Satcher didn’t answer the question, Farrington said Bennett and one of Bennett’s past associates have provided consultation in an unofficial capacity.
When asked about the experience they’d bring to the elections office, Satcher said, “My experience was in ministry. My experience after that was the county commission.”
Supervisor of Elections appointee James Satcher hopes to retain that position for the next four years. – LWRRC.com | Submitted
Farrington said while working in the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections office he earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in information systems management from the University of South Florida. He’s also received a Master Florida Election Certified Professional certificate from the state of Florida and a Certified Election Registrar and Administrator certificate from The National Association of Election Professionals.
The candidates were asked what single change they’d make to the voting process if given total autonomy to do so.
Farrington said he would extend early voting through Election Day rather than ending it the weekend before Election Day.
“If you vote on Election Day, you have to go to your precinct, whether it’s convenient for you or not on that day. I would like to extend it through Election Day and then you could go to whatever precinct was most convenient,” Farrington said.
“I believe we should have a national holiday on Election Day and we should go back to everyone voting on Election Day,” Satcher said, noting that overseas military personnel and those with illnesses and other circumstances could still use absentee ballots.
“I think we’d be better off if we were all voting in person,” Satcher said.
Lakewood Ranch Republican Club Vice President Bruce Stamm moderated the debate. – LWRRC.com | Submitted
Stamm noted the Florida Division of Elections recently presented a report to the Florida Legislature that stated there were very few issues and complaints associated with the 2020 and 2016 general elections in Manatee County. Stamm also mentioned Satcher’s recent request to the county commission to increase the elections office budget and his desire to implement the Clear Ballot ballot imagery system prior to the November election.
Stamm asked what, if any, election issues need to be addressed.
“No system that requires human input is perfect,” Farrington said. “I’ve always said elections would be great if we could take the voters out of it. They would be perfect, ”Farrington joked, prompting laughter from the crowd.
“But I am unaware of any circumstance or issue that garnered the scrutiny that would require security measures beyond what we have in place,” he added.
Regarding the Clear Ballot system, Satcher said, “If we have systems in place that the liberals can’t come against and can’t argue there’s anything wrong with them, what’s wrong with having a picture of every single ballot that’s cast? We need to have confidence in this election.”
Closing remarks
During closing remarks, Satcher said, “The Supervisor of Elections office is really the area that we need to be safeguarding across the state, across the nation and obviously here in Manatee County.”
Regarding the closed primary race, Satcher said, “Every left-wing journalist across Manatee County, they’re only putting out one side of the story and then at the end they say if you want to switch your registration, you can. They want liberals to vote in my election to skew my election the other way. Over and over and over again they’re encouraging election interference, telling Democrats to swap parties and then saying you can still vote however you want in November.”
Former SOE Chief of Staff Scott Farrington hopes to serve as Manatee County’s next Supervisor of Elections. – LWRRC.com | Submitted
Farrington then said, “This race is a primary race and it’s a primary race because a write-in filed. That write-in closed the primary, so that means only Republicans can vote. I believe the Supervisor of Elections represents all voters. Elections are not Republican. They are not Democrat. They do not belong to either party. They belong to all voters. If you want to be able to trust your election, you need to be able to trust that the Supervisor of Elections is not bent one way or the other. Every voter, despite party, should have had an opportunity to vote on who they want their supervisor to be.”
Post-debate comments
On June 24 and 25, the Satcher campaign distributed a campaign message focused on a single comment Farrington made during the debate: “Elections would be great if we could take the voters out of it.”
Satcher’s campaign message said, “You read that right. Big government bureaucrat Scott Farrington believes you are the problem with our elections. Scott Farrington thinks your vote shouldn’t count. He’s just like the liberals. Don’t let Scott Farrington steal your vote.”
On June 25, Farrington posted a response at his campaign Facebook page: “I hesitate to even acknowledge the negative ‘ads’ sent via text and email to voters in Manatee County. Many of you have reached out with your own thoughts on these types of campaigns and misleading tactics.
“I have served voters in Manatee County for over a decade. And I have done that with integrity and transparency – always with the voter in mind. I said from the beginning that I would run my campaign based on my experience and ability to do the job. This kind of negative campaigning does not change that.
“I encourage you to watch the entire debate. You can determine for yourself who has the competence, the integrity and the knowledge to protect your elections and your vote.
“The debate starts at the 26-minute mark and the specific question and answer section that was taken entirely out of context for an attack ad starts at the 1:07 mark,” Farrington stated.
Non-Republican voters who wish to vote in the Aug. 20 Republican primary that will also determine or help determine the winners of multiple county commission races can legally and easily change their party affiliation at the state-run Register To Vote Florida website before the July 22 deadline.
MANATEE COUNTY – Manatee County Supervisor of Elections candidate Scott Farrington has secured enough petition signatures to avoid paying a $10,133 qualifying fee.
The one-week qualifying period for county candidates begins on Monday, June 10 at noon and ends on Friday, June 14 at noon. Farrington will face interim Supervisor of Elections appointee James Satcher in the Republican primary that concludes on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Farrington spent 12 years with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office and was serving as chief of staff when he resigned on April 12. Farrington resigned after Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher, a sitting Manatee County commissioner, to serve the remaining months of the four-year term that Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett vacated when he resigned on March 1. Farrington filed his preliminary candidate’s paperwork in late January, long before DeSantis appointed Satcher.
DeSantis appointed Satcher to serve as the interim Supervisor of Elections despite Satcher having no previous experience supervising an election or working in an election office. Once appointed, Satcher forfeited the remaining months of his District 1 county commission term.
On April 24, Satcher filed a campaign redesignation letter that stated he was resigning his candidacy for the District 1 county commission seat and running as a Supervisor of Elections candidate instead.
Petitions verified
When qualifying for elected office, Florida law requires candidates to pay a qualifying fee that equals 6% of the annual salary for the office sought. The qualifying fee is waived if the candidate secures enough verified petition signatures to equal 1% of the total number of registered voters as of the last general election for the office sought.
On May 7, Satcher, as Supervisor of Elections, issued a letter to Farrington that said, “This is official notification, pursuant to Section 99.095, Florida Statutes, that you have obtained the required number of valid signatures on your candidate petitions as a Republican candidate for the office of the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections. This certification excuses you from paying the qualifying fee and any party assessment when seeking to qualify for this office.”
When contacted on May 10, Farrington said he needed 2,806 verified signatures and he submitted more than 3,500, with approximately 600 signatures still awaiting verification.
James Satcher will have to pay a $10,133 qualifying fee. – Manatee County | Submitted
When contacted by The Sun, Supervisor of Elections Office Deputy Chief Sharon Stief said Satcher did not previously collect petition signatures for his county commission reelection bid and did not collect petition signatures for his current Supervisor of Elections candidacy. To have his name placed on the ballot, Satcher must pay a $10,113 qualifying fee, which he can do using some of the $70,500 he previously secured for his county commission reelection bid. To date, Farrington has raised $10,300.
Primary matters
Florida is a closed primary state. As of May 10, no other candidates had filed to run in the Supervisor of Elections race. If that remains the case, all of Manatee County’s registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, can vote in the Supervisor of Elections primary race.
If a Democrat or non-party-affiliated candidate joins the race and qualifies to run, the Supervisor of Elections race becomes a closed primary race for Republican voters only. If that happens, the August primary will determine who serves as Manatee County’s next Supervisor of Elections.
As an election tactic frequently used statewide, including in Manatee County, a non-party-affiliated candidate enters a race simply to close the primary race to the members of the other party and increase the odds of a preferred candidate winning. These primary-closing candidates generally do not solicit campaign contributions or actively campaign.
Voters are able to offset these primary closing tactics by changing their party affiliation before the potential single-party primary election takes place. July 22 is the deadline to change one’s party affiliation to Republican in order to vote in the Supervisor of Elections primary race and any applicable Republican county commission primary races.
Changing party affiliation can be easily done by visiting www.RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov. Party affiliation can then be easily reversed before the general election concludes on Tuesday, Nov. 5 even though party affiliation is not relevant in a general election.
MANATEE COUNTY – Interim Manatee County Supervisor of Elections James Satcher has filed his preliminary paperwork to run for election to that position on a long-term basis.
On April 12, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher, a first-term county commissioner, to serve as the interim supervisor of elections despite having no prior experience supervising an election or managing an elections office.
DeSantis appointed Satcher to serve the remaining months of the four-year supervisor of elections term vacated by longtime Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett, who resigned on March 1. Satcher’s appointed term expires soon after the upcoming general election in November.
On April 24, Satcher filed his one-paragraph campaign redesignation letter that said, “I, James Satcher, am resigning my candidacy from Manatee County Commission District 1 and filing a new DS-DE 9 for the supervisor of elections race.”
Scott Farrington formerly served as chief of staff for the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office. – VoteScottFarrington.com | Submitted
Satcher will face longtime Supervisor of Elections Office Chief of Staff Scott Farrington in the Republican primary race that concludes Aug. 20.
Currently, no Democratic candidate or non-party affiliated candidate has filed to run in that race. If that remains the case, the August primary will determine who serves as Manatee County’s next supervisor of elections.
If no non-Republican candidates enter the primary race, the primary will be open to all Manatee County voters regardless of party affiliation. If a non-Republican candidate joins the race, the primary will be closed to Republican voters only.
The winner of the race will serve a four-year term as the elected supervisor of elections.
Satcher brings to his supervisor of elections campaign $70,500 in campaign contributions he previously received for his reelection bid for the District 1 Manatee County Commission seat he was elected to in 2020.
Farrington was in his 12th year of service with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office when he resigned following Satcher’s unexpected appointment. To date, Farrington has raised $10,300 for his election campaign and he’s currently collecting the petition signatures needed to qualify for inclusion on the ballot. The official qualifying period for election to a county office begins June 10 and ends June 14.
Redesignating funds
According to Florida election law, a candidate can change the designation of the office they seek to another elected office. If the candidate received campaign contributions for the original office they sought, the candidate must notify in writing each previous contributor and offer to return their contribution.
Within 15 days of filing the change of resignation, the candidate must send written notice to all contributors. In that notice, the candidate must offer to return to the contributor, on a pro rata basis, all contributions given in support of the original office.
The candidate must include with the notice a copy of Form DS-DE 86, which is a request for return of contribution. If the contributor returns Form DS-DE 86 within 30 days of receiving the notice, the candidate must return a pro rata share of all contributions given in support of the original office.
If the contributor does not return Form DS-DE 86 within 30 days of receiving the notice, the candidate may use the contribution for the newly designated office up to the maximum of the contribution limits allowed by law.
The full amount of the contribution for the original office shall count toward the contribution limits for the new office. Any amount that exceeds the contribution limits for the new office must be properly disposed of pursuant to law.
MANATEE COUNTY – County voters will ultimately determine whether former Chief of Staff Scott Farrington or recent gubernatorial appointee James Satcher serves as Manatee County’s next supervisor of elections.
Farrington and Satcher are expected to square off in the Republican primary election that concludes on Aug. 20.
If no Democrat or non-party-affiliated candidate joins the race, the primary will determine the race winner.
On April 12, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher, then a Manatee County commissioner, to serve the remaining months of the four-year term that longtime supervisor Mike Bennett vacated on March 1 after announcing his retirement in January. Satcher has no previous experience conducting an election or managing an elections office and his appointed term expires after the November election.
As Bennett’s longtime chief of staff, Farrington oversaw the elections office operations from March 1 until April 12. He resigned the day DeSantis appointed Satcher. He was in his 12th year with the Manatee elections office, preceded by 10 years with the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office.
In January, with Bennett’s resignation pending, Farrington filed to run for the elected four-year Supervisor of Elections term that will begin after the November elections. As of Sunday, Satcher had not yet filed to run in the supervisor of elections race but he’s expected to file soon.
SATCHER TAKES OVER
In his new role, Satcher made a brief appearance before the county commission on April 16. While noting he’d soon seek additional county funds to address staffing and equipment needs, Satcher inferred that Farrington refused to provide the passwords needed to access the elections office computers.
Supervisor of Elections James Satcher appeared before the county commission on April 16. – YouTube | Submitted
“One person left on Friday of his own accord and took all the passwords with him and refused to give them to our technology department when we called and asked for the passwords,” Satcher said.
Farrington and Bennett later disputed Satcher’s allegation.
After Farrington’s departure, Satcher hired Manatee County Commissioner Amanda Ballard’s husband, David Ballard, to serve as his chief of staff, despite Ballard currently being on probation in Manatee County.
On Feb. 1, 2023, the Florida Highway Patrol arrested Ballard on suspicion of driving under the influence with property damage and/or personal injury. He was also charged with leaving the scene of a crash. On March 6, 2023, the Bradenton Police Department arrested Ballard on suspicion of driving under the influence, refusal to submit to testing and driving with license canceled, suspended or revoked.
David Ballard was arrested twice in 2023 on suspicion driving under the influence. – Submitted
According to the March 6 probable cause affidavit, the responding officer smelled a faint smell of alcohol on Ballard’s breath. Ballard told the officer he had not consumed any alcohol that day but was taking prescribed medications that included Klonopin and alcohol withdrawal medicine. Ballard told the officer he was traveling home from the Centerstone rehabilitation facility when the accident occurred.
According to the March 6 probable cause affidavit, “Once officers arrived on scene, the defendant (Ballard) advised that his wife was driving and he was a passenger. He stated that she left the scene to make a phone call. She arrived shortly after and advised this was not true. He later stated that he forgot he was actually driving.”
On Aug. 24, 2023, Ballard pled no contest to the driving under the influence charge associated with his Feb. 1 arrest. He also pled no contest to all three counts associated with his March 6 arrest. According to the order of probation issued that day, Ballard was placed on probation for one year and his driver’s license was suspended for five years.
FARRINGTON SPEAKS
When speaking to The Sun on April 19, Farrington addressed the governor’s decision and said, “I was disappointed, but there’s nothing I can do about that now.”
Farrington confirmed he’ll remain in the supervisor of elections race and he’s happy Manatee County voters will decide who serves in that role for the next four years.
“I am running because I think the people of Manatee County deserve a choice. Right now, one choice is already laid out. I believe I offer a different option – one of experience. I have over 20 years of elections experience. Some people might not think that’s important, but there’s so much involved in running an election. I offer experience, integrity and honest elections,” Farrington said.
He’s now collecting the petition signatures needed as part of the candidate qualifying process.
“If anybody’s interested in signing one, they can go to my website, VoteScottFarrington.com, and download it, sign it and send it in,” he said.
Regarding Satcher’s claim about withheld passwords, Farrington said, “I did not take any passwords and I did not refuse to give any passwords back. That’s not true.”
BENNETT DISAPPOINTED
When speaking to The Sun on April 18, Bennett noted DeSantis has often expressed his desire for election integrity, yet he appointed a supervisor of elections with no previous experience and strong partisan political beliefs.
When announcing his resignation, Bennett sent DeSantis a letter that recommended Farrington be appointed to serve as the interim supervisor. Bennett said DeSantis never contacted him about the pending appointment, nor did any of the governor’s staff.
“I’m extremely disappointed with the governor and I’m extremely disappointed with (former Florida Senator) Bill Galvano for taking the lead on getting the governor to make that appointment,” Bennett said.
Regarding Satcher’s appointment, Bennett said, “To take somebody who has no knowledge of elections and never volunteered to sit on the canvassing board? He knows nothing about it. And then he hires a guy who’s on probation and can’t even drive the supervisor’s car to check on a polling place or an early voting spot. The new chief of staff knows nothing about elections and has never served on a canvassing board or been to a canvassing board meeting,” Bennett said.
Bennett is concerned that Satcher and Ballard’s lack of experience and strong political beliefs could affect public confidence and the integrity of the upcoming elections.
He also addressed Satcher’s claim about withheld passwords.
“That’s simply not true. Scott didn’t have all the passwords. All the passwords are with Sharon Stief,” Bennett said in reference to his longtime chief deputy, who remains in that position. “Nobody ever contacted Scott or me about getting any passwords.”
SUPERVISOR’S RACE
The Florida voter registration application and instruction form accessible at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website notes that Florida uses a closed primary system that only allows those affiliated with a specific political party to vote in party-specific primary elections.
“However, in primary elections, all voters can vote for candidates in that partisan primary race if the candidates face no opposition in the general election,” the form notes.
If no Democratic or non-party-affiliated candidates enter the supervisor of elections race – including a bogus candidate who runs simply to close the primary – the anticipated Farrington-Satcher primary race would be open to all Manatee County voters. If a Democrat or non-party-affiliated candidate enters the race, the primary becomes closed to Republican voters only.
If the primary is closed, non-Republican voters who wish to vote in the supervisor of elections primary race have until July 22 to change their current party affiliation to Republican, which can be easily accomplished and later reversed by visiting https://registertovoteflorida.gov/eligibilityreactive.
