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Supervisor of Elections Disqualifies Supervisor of Elections Candidate Bruce Childers
June 21, 2024
The Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office has disqualified GOP candidate Bruce Childers, who was running for Supervisor of Elections, according to a statement from that office late Thursday.
According to a statement from the Super of Election Office:
“Mr. Bruce Childers did not qualify as a candidate for the position of supervisor of elections. Mr. Childers’ full and public financial disclosure was not provided by close of qualifying, and Florida Statute §99.061(7)(a), requires a candidate qualifying for Constitutional office to provide a copy of the full and public financial disclosure Form 6 by the close of qualifying. The requirement is pursuant to the Florida Constitution and Florida’s election and ethics laws.
“The Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office remains committed to ensuring the integrity of elections and maintaining compliance with the election laws of Florida.”
Childers, a local attorney, is the husband of Escambia County Comptroller and Clerk of the Court Pam Childers.
Without Childers in the race, incumbent Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender was automatically elected.
According to SOE records, the Childers’s campaign had $101,000 — a single $1,000 donation from a retired individual and $100,000 in loans to himself as of June 14. He had spent $42,362.97 including the $9,735.48 qualification fee, $4,027.49 for signs and $28,600 for Lamar Advertising billboards.
By June 14, Bender raised $21,450, and had spent $10,735.48 including consulting for $1,000 and the $9,735.48 qualifying fee.
Comments
30 Responses to “Supervisor of Elections Disqualifies Supervisor of Elections Candidate Bruce Childers”
The $9500 qualification fee is a way to weed out competition so that the average man/woman can never be on the ballot. That’s what the filing fee purpose is in reality.
What is a $9500 qualification fee?
I believe that this would be a good time for the Governor’s office to look into the workings of this county as a whole.
@ Molino VOTER
He can’t screw it up, Because Sonya is there to fix his screw ups.
The governor needs to correct his mistake
Bender is so corrupt. I can’t believe anyone supports him.
Escambia county commissioners have always reeked of impropriety, now even after office.
What is the penalty for a Supervisor of Elections found (even remotely) involved in election interfefence?
Seems this would be one of the highest crimes and misdemeanors a public servant could commit and the penalty by law should be severe.
No more 2+ votes to bail someone out.
I know nothing about this race, the people involved, nor the law, but I can see something is wrong and underhanded, here. There is no glory or feeling of accomplishment in deception.
This is unfortunate, I would assume that the Supervisors of elections office prime responsibilities would be to 1.) to assist the all candidates in making sure that the paperwork they submitted was complete (all i’s dotted, all t’s crossed), 2.) that the candidates qualify and meet the citizenship, and residency requirements,if any. 3.) that the elections are held in a free and fair manner.
So if indeed (The officials at the SOE reviewed Mr. Childers’ paperwork on June 12th and assured him that it was complete.). and by some fluke of human error the officials failed to review the full financial disclosure portion of the application, or just forgot – It was done under Robert D. Bender’s area of responsibility, He should correct this misdeed, else there will be a taint on this election!
I think the Governor needs to remove his appointed SOE IMMEDIATELY before the unqualified idiot screws up all of the upcoming elections.
Sonja Daniel should have that job.
The officials at the SOE reviewed Mr. Childers’ paperwork on June 12th and assured him that it was complete. They then wait until Tuesday of the following week after qualifying to render him not qualified. This is after he has spent $50,000 of his own money for campaign signs, billboards, etc. This is not OVER!
BENDER was not qualified for the job ( good old boy), SONYA was a lot more qualified
wish we could WRITE her in.
I thought I heard they did away with Form 6
Embarrassing.
Doubt it was a case of, “Why should I have to follow established laws??”
Since he borrowed from himself, I hope he pays himself back.
My nose smells something fishy here. Retaliating against Pam Childers for saving the taxpayer money. They were being robbed.
All of these qualifying requirements and procedures are laid down by statute, and if any candidate for any elected position is allowed on the ballot without meeting these requirements Mr. Bender would be the one in violation of the law. Mr. Childers should do as any good lawyer would do and read and meet the qualifications for any elected position before he tries to qualify. Maybe he should have listened to his wife, she seems to know the procedures.
Bender is the best for this position and it all worked out to prove that. Good luck, Mr. Bender! God is blessing you for all your hard work.
Bender was afraid he would be defeated and found a way to eliminate his competition.
Bender and his band of Commissioners tried to illegally pad their retirement at the taxpayers expense, Pam Childers refused to pay and the commissioners took the county to court. The Commissioners LOST and were forced to pay the money back they had been paid. Hope Bruce Childers gets this issue resolved and runs, HE HAS MY VOTE.
If it waddles like a duck, flies like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.
An oversight body needs to take a look at this.
I’m sure it will be looked at thoroughly again.
But the last thing we needed was another Childers in office anyway.
Sounds like the same election interference the Anti-Trump are pulling. Either way thousands of people were disenfranchised!
I suspect that we will hear more on this!
I think something smells very rotten about this situation.
Heard that Childers had filed his paperwork on Wed and was not informed about any issues until late Friday.
Supervisor of Elections Office is expected to fast check and notify candidates of anything that needs attention in their application process.
Hopefully, Mr. Childers will appeal this and be allowed to run against Bender giving WE The PEOPLE and opportunity to make OUR Voices Heard.
Rules is rules
Would seem there would be some sort
Of oversight of the incumbent’s decision in that he would certainly have an interest in seeing the only other candidate for his job disqualified.
Hmmm ! An appointed political hack, disqualifying the competition. Must have been pretty job scared.
Smell test failure. Who would spend thousands of their own dollars to not finish the paperwork in time? Eliminating your competition on a technically highly stinks.
Makes you wonder if this isn’t politics at its finest. His wife just stopped the illegal gravy retirement train the county commissioners had set up for themselves …,
Retaliation???
Pretty lame someone wanting to be in charge of elections doesn’t even fill their own paperwork out correctly. They weren’t qualified and wanted the job to check people’s qualifications. Irony.