In Pinellas, elections supervisor race draws results skeptic

Mirroring an increasing trend across the state and nation, Pinellas County will have a race for Supervisor of Elections featuring a candidate running on allegations of election fraud.

Chris Gleason, a self described election integrity activist, qualified to challenge incumbent Supervisor of Elections Julie Marcus in the Aug. 20 primary. Gleason has lodged allegations around the office’s handling of ballots and voting equipment, which Marcus said are “categorically false.”

The race is the only contested constitutional office this year in Pinellas. Voters will have two County Commission seats to decide in the Nov. 5 general election but only one, the race for at-large District 3, will have a primary.

Constitutional Offices

Because both Gleason and Marcus are Republicans and no Democrat qualified for the seat, all registered voters in the county can vote in the primary in this race regardless of party.

Marcus began as deputy supervisor of elections in 2007 and was appointed in May 2020 to serve the remaining term of retiring supervisor Deborah Clark. She won her election against a Democratic challenger that November.

She said she’s running again because she loves what she does and is dedicated to the integrity of the voting process in Pinellas.

“We are a Republic and that Republic requires its citizens to participate in the selection of our representatives,” Marcus said. “If voters are not confident in that process and therefore do not participate, the system will fail.”

Gleason said he is a data analyst who began investigating elections nationwide in 2018.

Last year, Gleason sued Marcus, alleging she and her office withheld voter and election records and charged unreasonable fees for their release. A judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling Marcus followed the law in the handling of the records.

“I can assure you that if you vote for me here in Pinellas County your vote is going to be counted,” Gleason said at a news conference announcing his candidacy on Monday. “There isn’t going to be any lack of transparency and we’re going to have real elections in Pinellas County.”

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri sailed into fourth term with no challenger. Clerk of Court Ken Burke, first elected in 2004, also won another term without a challenger. This is the fifth election cycle that Burke walked into his seat without opposition.

Property Appraiser Mike Twitty, first elected in 2016, won a third term without a fight.

Adam Ross, Pinellas County Republican Party chairperson and executive director of the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office, won his bid to replace retiring Tax Collector Charles Thomas without an opponent.

The tax collector, clerk of court, property appraiser and supervisor of elections are paid $194,037 annually. The sheriff is paid $231,956.

County Commission

Two Republicans will compete in the Aug. 20 primary for the chance to face countywide District 3 commissioner Charlie Justice, a Democrat, in the general election.

Vince Nowicki is a real estate agent who is active in watchdog politics. Last year he hired a private investigator and accused St. Pete City Council member Lisa Wheeler-Bowman of not living in her district, which led to her resignation.

He announced his candidacy for County Commission last July. He has since raised $54,775 and won the endorsement of local Republican leaders.

David Leatherwood, a conservative social media influencer, filed for the seat on Wednesday, two days before qualifying period ended, so has no reported contributions. Leatherwood goes by the online moniker Brokeback Patriot and promotes his views as an “anti-woke” gay man.

Both are trying to flip the seat to bolster the commission’s current 4-3 Republican majority.

There is no primary in the race for the District 1 at-large seat being vacated by Democratic commissioner Janet Long. Former Indian Rocks Beach Mayor Joanne “Cookie” Kennedy, a Democrat, and developer Chris Scherer, a Republican, both qualified and will square off in the Nov. 5 election.

County Commissioners Rene Flowers, a Democrat, and Chris Latvala, a Republican, won reelection to their seats with no challenger.

Commissioners are paid $119,439.