Scott Farrington
THE BRADENTON TIMES HAS ENDORSED SCOTT FARRINGTON
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Political platform statement
Scott Farrington for Supervisor of Elections
Why am I running? - Since 2013, I have played a vital role in election administration in Manatee County serving as Chief of Staff/Assistant Supervisor of Elections to Mike Bennett during Mike’s entire term as Supervisor of Elections. For a decade prior to that, I served in a similar capacity in the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections office. Throughout my 21-year tenure, I have been a part of administering over 75 federal, state and local elections in our region.
I have worked as a professional in election administration, which is shown not only by the secure, accurate and transparent elections we have enjoyed in Manatee County for the last decade, but also by my ongoing dedication to the profession. I am the only Certified Elections Administrator in Manatee County and have also earned the Master Florida Certified Election Professional status. My knowledge of the technical side of elections, including cybersecurity, is a critical component of the success of elections in Manatee County.
We collected more than enough verified candidate petitions to move to the ballot through a countywide, community-based effort. This outpouring of community effort showed me that I had the grassroots support that I would need to be successful.
Throughout my time in Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office, we held Manatee elections to highest of standards and built an excellent team. I want to get back in the office to build upon the strong foundation in election administration in Manatee County and to maintain the excellent standards that we created.
- 21 Years as an Elections Professional
- 10 Years in a variety of roles in the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office, the last 3 years as Assistant Supervisor of Elections/Chief of Staff
- 11 Years as the Chief of Staff / Assistant Supervisor of Elections in the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office
- 5 Gubernatorial Election Cycles
- 5 Presidential Election Cycles
- Over 75 Elections spanning two decades
- Worked with 5 different voting systems
Education -
- Community Christian High School - Oneco, FL
- State College of Florida - AA Degree
- University of South Florida - Bachelors and Masters Degree in Information Systems Management
- Professional Certifications Certified Elections/Registration Administrator (CERA) through the Elections Center and Auburn University Master Florida Certified Election Professional (MFCEP) through Florida Supervisor of Elections and The Florida Institute of Government at Florida State University
From our Reporting:
The Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office has long been one of the most respected in the state. For decades, Republican Bob Sweat and his eventual replacement, Republican Mike Bennett, ran a streamlined operation that produced impeccable results on the sort of bare-bones budget that was once a pillar of the conservative ideology.
When Bennett unexpectedly retired earlier this year, he credited Farrington, who had been his top lieutenant for the entirety of his eleven years in office, as a major factor in the success the office had enjoyed. In his resignation letter, Bennett gave a full-throated endorsement of Farrington, recommending that he be named the interim SOE upon his retirement.
This should have been an easy decision. Farrington not only had more than a decade at Bennett’s side but had also spent a decade in Sarasota County’s Supervisor of Elections office, where he rose from a temp employee to deputy SOE. With a background in software development, Farrington had a keen grasp of emerging voting technology while earning multiple certifications in the field. Indeed, it is hard to imagine a more qualified successor.
Despite the absence of other candidates on the ballot, the write-in loophole has effectively closed this primary to Republican voters, adding a sense of urgency to the situation. The Bradenton Times not only recommends Republican Scott Farrington for this race, but we urge non-Republicans to consider changing their registration ahead of the July 22 deadline so as to exercise the voice in political representation that our constitution intends despite politicians' best efforts to see it denied.