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 – 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 – 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.
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 – 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.
MANATEE COUNTY – Manatee County voters who plan to vote by mail during the 2024 election cycle need to submit a request that vote-by-mail ballots be sent to them.
According to a press release issued on behalf of the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office, more than 100,000 registered Manatee County voters are receiving official correspondence as part of the election office’s efforts to inform them of an important update they might not be aware of.
Manatee County voters who voted by mail in previous years are receiving notice that they need to make a new request to receive vote-by-mail ballots for the 2024 election cycle. The 2024 election cycle includes the Florida presidential primary election that takes place on March 19, the state primary election that concludes on Aug. 20 and the general election that concludes on Nov. 5, 2024.
Voters who previously provided their email addresses will receive an official email from the Supervisor of Elections Office. Others will receive their notification via regular mail. Voters who haven’t requested vote-by-mail ballots recently or in the past can also request vote-by-mail ballots for the 2024 election cycle.
The vote-by-mail ballot request process requires the voter to provide their name, date of birth and either the last four digits of their social security number or a valid Florida driver’s license or a valid Florida identification card.
The annual vote-by-mail ballot request renewal requirement stems from the Florida Legislature’s adoption of Senate Bill 90 in 2021. The state law created by that legislation limits the duration of requests for vote-by-mail ballots to all elections through the end of the calendar year of the next regularly scheduled general election.
As a result of the state law, Manatee County’s vote-by-mail voters’ rolls were wiped clean after the 2022 general election.
“We went from more than 100,000 voters having a request on record for a mail ballot to zero,” Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett stated in the press release. “This effort is about making people aware that they’ll need to renew their vote by mail request more frequently. Voters should renew their request sooner than later or they could forget and miss their opportunity to receive a mail ballot.”
In the press release, Bennett’s chief of staff, Scott Farrington, noted that during the 2022 general election, 110,260 vote-by-mail ballots were sent to Manatee County voters and 75,310 were returned as ballots cast, accounting for 44% of the county’s total voter turnout. Farrington said 7,848 Manatee County voters have already registered to receive vote-by-mail ballots during the 2024 election cycle.
“The SOE reminds Manatee voters that voting by mail is a safe and convenient way to cast your ballot. It allows voters to avoid potential Election Day obstacles like long lines, bad weather, or work delays. Voting by mail also gives voters more time to consider issues and candidates with their ballot in hand, rather than feeling rushed at the polling place,” the press release notes.
There are no contested city commission races or proposed charter amendments to be decided by Anna Maria Island voters during the 2023 election cycle. The only elections taking place in Manatee County in 2023 are the Bayshore Gardens Park & Recreation District and the Trailer Estates Park & Recreation District elections in December.
Manatee County voters can request their 2024 vote-by-mail ballots online or by calling 941-741-3823 and pressing the number 1 when prompted.
