Gov. DeSantis picks Manatee County commissioner to fill supervisor of elections vacancy
Gov. Ron DeSantis chose Commissioner James Satcher to lead Manatee County’s Supervisor of Elections office, which has been vacant since the beginning of March.
Satcher, a first-term Republican official, fills the position that former Supervisor of Elections Michael Bennett held for over a decade, the governor’s office announced in a news release. DeSantis announced the appointment in a news release Friday afternoon.
Satcher, 45, did not immediately respond to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment Friday afternoon.
First elected to the Manatee Board of County Commissioners in 2020, Satcher had already filed to seek reelection to the District 1 seat, which represents parts of Parrish, Palmetto and Myakka City. His four-year term as a commissioner is set to expire in November.
During his time on the board, Satcher has touted himself as a conservative Republican and strong supporter of DeSantis and former President Donald Trump.
Satcher has also sparked local controversy by urging Manatee County to ban abortion clinics, allow county government employees to carry guns at work and deny funding for a pregnancy prevention program.
DeSantis’ news release cites Satcher’s background as an active community member and a minister, but the county commissioner does not appear to have election oversight experience.
According to the Supervisor of Elections website, Satcher was set to face two opponents in his reelection bid. Jennifer Hamey and Carol Ann Felts filed to run against Satcher.
Campaign finance records show that Satcher built a sizable fundraising lead against his challengers. As of Friday, he had raised over $70,000.
Satcher named Manatee’s supervisor of elections
While a timeline was not immediately available Friday afternoon, Satcher is expected to resign from his role as a commissioner. At that point, DeSantis will appoint a new commissioner to serve the rest of Satcher’s term, which ends in November.
It is also unclear whether Satcher will seek re-election to the supervisor of elections office. DeSantis’ appointment is to complete Bennett’s four-year term, which is set to end in November.
Bennett, a former state lawmaker, was elected to the position in 2012. He previously represented Bradenton-area voters in the Florida House of Representatives from 2000 to 2002 and Florida Senate from 2002 to 2012.
In a Jan. 22 resignation letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis, the 79-year-old former elections supervisor said he looked forward to spending more time with his family.
“These years have been some of the highlights of my life, but it is now time for me to spend more time with family, friends and in other community volunteer services,” Bennett wrote.
Bennett’s resignation letter also urged the governor to appoint a longtime deputy to lead the office after his retirement. He recommended Scott Farrington, the office’s chief of staff, who has over two decades of election experience.
“I cannot believe there is a better, more accomplished or more knowledgeable person than Scott to fill this position,” Bennett wrote.
According to local campaign records, Farrington filed to run for the supervisor of elections position on Jan. 24. He has raised more than $10,000 in campaign funds.
This story was originally published April 12, 2024 at 5:17 PM.
