Update – 6:45 a.m.: State Rep. Alex Andrade is also on board. He actually called Tallahassee yesterday.
UPDATE – 6:20 a.m.: Mayor D.C. Reeves texted from Dublin that he supports this effort. He will call the appointment office.
The dust from the August 20 primary has settled. Republicans in Escambia County’s District 4 have chosen Ashlee Hofberger as their nominee. Gov. Ron DeSantis needs to appoint her to serve on the Escambia Board of County Commissioners today.
| Total | |
| Ashlee Hofberger | 3,153 |
| Buck Mitchell | 2,483 |
| Walker Wilson | 2,735 |
The District 4 seat has been vacate since January. Over the coming weeks, the BCC will hold hearings and vote on the 2024-25 budget. District 4 should be represented.
Background: In January, longtime Supervisor of Elections David Stafford resigned to take a job with Homeland Security. On January 26, Gov. DeSantis appointed Commissioner Robert Bender to complete his term.
Several names were mentioned as appointees to represent District 4 on the BCC through 2026: Jim Reeve, Jared Moore, Charles Bare, Cris Dosev, Walker Wilson, Tommi Lyter, Greg Litton, Buck Mitchell, and Jonathon Wiggins.
Ultimately, 10 people applied for the post, but none won the favor of DeSantis. The other names that popped up included Boyce White, Stan “Quick Draw” McDaniels, Mei Davis, Brian Wyer, Greg Hodges, Chase Anderson “Andy” Romagnano, and Ashlee Hofberger.
In the postal newspaper, Councilman Jared Moore said it wasn’t in the city’s best interest to leave the seat open, which probably eliminated any chances of Gov. DeSantis appointing him.
What to do: County Clerk Pam Childers attacked Bender, DeSantis’s appointee for election supervisor, which lost her any juice in the governor’s office, but locals can still have some say.
Last night, I began making calls to Mayor D.C. Reeves, Collier Merrill, and others to ask that they support Ashlee’s appointment with the Escambia County Commission.
You can email the governor’s appointment office and request DeSantis to appoint her: appointments@eog.myflorida.com.
District 4 is in the Rep. Alex Andrade’s and Sen. Doug Broxson’s districts. Email them, too.
I hope the Greater Pensacola Chamber and the Pensacola City Council will also pass resolutions to support Ashlee’s appointment.
#AppointAshlee