Soon after our conversation, the supervisor’s office posted this announcement:
Today, David H. Stafford notified Governor DeSantis and Secretary of State Cord Byrd of his intention to pursue a new chapter in public service after 19 years as Supervisor of Elections. Next month, Stafford will join the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency as an Election Security Advisor. His last day as Supervisor of Elections will be January 15, 2024.
He has asked the Governor to consider appointing his Chief Deputy Supervisor, Sonya Daniel, to fill the final year of his term. A link to the letter can be found here.
Why this matters: David Stafford has run Escambia County’s elections for nearly 20 years. He lived up to the high standards of his predecessors – Bonnie Jones (1984-2004) and Joe Oldmixon (1942-1984). Our elections have run smoothly and without any blemishes. Escambia voters have always had confidence in our election process.
Dig Deeper: Only three people have held the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections since 1948. The individual elected to replace Stafford will likely serve two decades.
Gov. DeSantis will appoint someone to the post who will manage the 2024 election cycle. Stafford would like his chief deputy supervisor, Sonya Daniel, to get the appointment, but the governor doesn’t have to accept that recommendation.
Whoever is appointed will face election next. Here are the names bouncing around last night, but I expect more people to file:
* Rep. Michelle Salzman went on Facebook to promote former State Rep. Dave Murzin, who heads her political action committee. Murzin is a consultant to First Place Partners.
* Escambia County Commissioner Robert Bender has expressed interest in the position. He will be my guest on WCOA on Thursday at 7:45 a.m. He is serving in his second term on the county commission.
* Former Mayor Grover Robinson is another person mentioned. He served on the Escambia County Commission for 12 years. He is the associate vice president of government and community relations for Pensacola State College.