Just when you think that our incompetent and unethical interim Supervisor of Elections can’t get worse, James Satcher says, hold my beer. His actions represent not just a threat but an urgent call for action to protect our democracy.
During an election cycle, this is a busy time of the year at TBT. We are a small, underresourced, independent publication. We have only two reporters on the government/politics beat, one of whom is often undertaking the herculean work of investigative journalism. When we are issuing endorsements, I don’t typically write my Sunday column, as I’m tasked with penning the endorsement articles for the candidates we select.
Last week was incredibly busy, and I was really hoping that the brain trust that runs our county could behave itself well enough that there would not be an issue so egregious that I would have to add another task to my already enormous workload. Then, Satcher's reckless spending of over a hundred grand in taxpayer money to send every voter a new registration card (many of which contained incorrect information) and his inclusion of a letter that amounted to a taxpayer-funded campaign piece added a significant burden to my slate.
You can read what I had to say about that here.
This week, I had an even larger workload since we decided it was crucial to get our full slate of endorsements for the August primary published by Friday and sent out to subscribers in a special email, which you should have received yesterday. You can also see a web version of that email here.
During that time, Satcher struck again. An open letter penned by a verified employee of the SOE’s office and published in former Bradenton Herald Editor Marc Masferrer’s SubStack confirmed our worst suspicions. The employee detailed a hyperpartisan environment in which an office that had been the envy of the state for decades had devolved into a chaotic nightmare that has voters justifiably concerned as to whether their vote will be counted in August’s primary—the one in which Satcher is seeking election as SOE.
“We are TRYING to ensure that the election is run legally and fairly, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to see whether our efforts will pay off or will be wasted because of the way Satcher has changed the office since he got here,” wrote the employee.
Give that a moment to sink in.
The employee goes on to describe an environment where unqualified new hires are replacing experienced employees who could not bear working under Satcher’s leadership. They describe wasteful spending, narcissistic vanity projects, and a failure to adhere to long-held practices to ensure the integrity of the election. Most troublingly, they allege that vote-by-mail ballots—for which Satcher has publicly displayed open contempt—are not being processed on a daily basis, as per previous protocol.
Satcher has also apparently used taxpayer money to hire what amounts to be a campaign PR employee onto his SOE staff, creating some sort of public relations manager position that had not previously existed. He is said to rarely be in the office for which he is being paid roughly $178,000 to “run,” and was not even available to present the office’s budget request this week, seemingly because he was leisure traveling out of state just weeks before a crucial election.
It gets worse, but please don’t take my word for it. Read the letter in its entirety here.
This week, TBT received more troubling news regarding Satcher's incompetence. Joan Franklin previously worked as a temporary SOE employee, which the office hires during elections. Like many voters, she recently received another new voter registration card just weeks after receiving a new one. The recent interaction with Satcher that she described is chilling.
"We sat down in the main lobby, where I could ask him about why I received a second copy of my voter registration card with his picture and personal message," Franklin told TBT. "I advised Mr. Satcher that my original card was only two weeks old. He said that it was required by statute 97.071, and he was required to send it out. He then asked me why my card was only two weeks old. I told him that I had switched my affiliation from Democrat to Republican to be able to vote in the August 20 primary election. Mr. Satcher went bananas right there in the lobby. Anybody and everybody could hear him. He accused me of trying to 'manipulate' and 'skew' the August 20 election. I asked him a couple of times whether changing my party affiliation was against the law. He would not answer me, and he then got up and stormed away."
This tracks with what Satcher told TBT's Dawn Kitterman recently.
"Anybody who deliberately waited to change their party affiliation at the last minute to rig the primary election, well, then that’s on them," Satcher told Kitterman in an article you can read here.
Satcher's notion that voters legally changing their party affiliation in order to have a vote in the only contest that will decide who is Supervisor of Elections for all voters in our county amounts to an effort to "rig" the election demonstrates both (1) a fundamental misunderstanding of democracy and (2) the fact that this man is dumber than a bag of hair.
Clearly, Satcher and his handlers are the ones trying to rig the election by using some write-in pawn to close what the Florida Constitution otherwise prescribes as an open primary. All citizens are intended to have a say in their elected officials, and when only members of one party compete for the post, the primary is supposed to be open to all voters.
It is Satcher and his handlers—developer Carlos Beruff and consultant Anthony Pedicini—who are trying to game the system and buy this election. It is apparently not enough to own the county commission and control the county government. They want to own the guy in charge of counting the votes on Election Day to make sure that voters—who are already at a tremendous disadvantage to deep-pocketed special interests—lose the last tool available to them in terms of fighting back.
If someone believes that just because one party has a sizable advantage in terms of registered voters and special interest funding, it entitles them to rig the system so that only their voters can participate in the selection of elected officials, then they believe in authoritarianism, not democracy. There is nothing patriotic in silencing the votes of people who don't agree with you, and for a gasbag like Satcher who never stops bloviating about his beloved Constitution, it calls into question whether he's ever read the damned thing.
Voters should be asking themselves what James Satcher is so afraid of. Republicans have an enormous advantage in Manatee County. In statewide races, GOP candidates like Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis and Marco Rubio have managed to secure as much as 70+ percent of the vote in a general election. How could non-Republicans rig a Republican primary when all the Democrats and independents can rarely amount to 30 percent of the vote when they don't even have to switch their registration?
In reality, Satcher and his handlers know they have to game the system because any Republican who has paid even a little attention to his record knows that he is an incompetent phony while his opponent is an actual conservative. And yes, Democrats and independents who take a look are almost certain to join them in choosing an ethical and qualified conservative like Scott Farrington over a goldbricker like Satcher.
This is a simple race. On one side, there is a deeply experienced, highly qualified conservative candidate with more than 20 years of success as a top election official in Sarasota and Manatee counties. On the other side, there is a soft-headed, big-spending carpetbagger who is willing to do anything his overlords demand so long as they keep making it so that his lazy ass can avoid having to actually work for a living. The choice is easy, folks. Vote Scott Farrington for Supervisor of Elections, or kiss democracy goodbye in Manatee County.
Dennis "Mitch" Maley is an editor and columnist for The Bradenton Times and the host of our weekly podcast. With over two decades of experience as a journalist, he has covered Manatee County government since 2010. He is a graduate of Shippensburg University and later served as a Captain in the U.S. Army. Click here for his bio. His 2016 short story collection, Casting Shadows, was recently reissued and is available here.
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mp1616
Would not put it past Satcher to try and "find" some votes for himself and his cronies. As a Democrat - don't hold it against me - I am watching very closely to see if enough responsible Republicans can rid the county of these sad-sack, unethical characters that are destroying Manatee Co.
Saturday, August 3 Report this
David Daniels
My mail in ballot has been in "RECEIVED" status since July 29. So there must be thousands of mail in ballots piling up in a room somewhere. At some point, someone will start looking at them and how many will be questioned - for signature or whatever? Will there be time for voters to be notified that their ballot is being questioned, and for voters to be able to respond? And re: that letter with the "required" new voter cards - did Satcher get an official opinion from the State Department Division of Elections before spending $100K taxpayer money? No, he didn't. Because he knows the answer would be 'No, the law does not require new cards to be issued when there is a new SOE. The law requires that the each card must have the name of the SOE that issued the card.' Lazy ass is exactly right. Actually, lazy-ass liar is more accurate.
Saturday, August 3 Report this
writerlynn9717
Definitely worried if my vote will really be counted since I was one who changed my party and according to Satcher "rigged" the primary. Hopefully, many people will report him to elections commission for ethical reasons surrounding his biases as SOE. Seems DeSantis doesn't care about Manatee County supporting Satcher and KVO. Another reason of the many not to support DeSantis.
Sunday, August 4 Report this
NikkiforPalmetto
I can feel the anger in your column, and I share it. I've decided to vote in person because I don't trust them to properly count a mail in ballot. I'll bring said ballot to my polling site to surrender it and vote in person. Satcher is a moron with misplaced confidence, and that's the nicest thing I can say about him.
Sunday, August 4 Report this
Emac
Accurate article. Great comments. PLUS, now I can add "dumber than a bag of hair" to my lexicon.
TY, Mitch
Sunday, August 4 Report this
igobye3959
Just think what will happen with the Presidential election if Satcher gets elected! “Finding votes” and refusing to certify an election if things don’t go their way are just the tip of the iceberg. I hand delivered my ballot to the SOE office and now I’m sorry I did that, given what I’m hearing.
Monday, August 5 Report this
rjckeuka4
Voted by mail before leaving for NY until after the 20th. My wife changed her affiliation in order to be able to vote. Wonder whether our votes will be counted. :(
Monday, August 5 Report this
tjet62
Well said, he's such a moron during county commission.
meetings, I would mute my TV every time he opened his mouth.
Monday, August 5 Report this
Buldog
What a tangled web they weave-all promoted by greed and power. From a NOW outsider looking in, my message to Manatee citizens is there is so much more that has not been uncovered regarding the BoCC that I have witnessed and personally experienced. Save your County and vote these crooks out! This not a drill-the house is on fire; it’s time to put it out!
Wednesday, August 7 Report this
WTF
Send this unqualified appointed official back into the the unemployment line and into another string of rental evictions. Even puppets have to get a plan B .... One & Done !
Thursday, August 8 Report this