The effort to change elections for Orange County charter offices from nonpartisan to partisan elections is officially dead. While this initiative, led by and financed by Scott Randolph and the Orange County Democratic Party, was expected to fail based on their results to date, the sudden announcement was made public by the Orlando Sentinel yesterday with a statement from Randolph announcing the failure.
A substantial effort, totaling more than $33,000 according to latest reports, had already gone into the campaign, including a full campaign committee and paid staff.
“The numbers were not looking favorable to getting the number signed by April 15,” said Eric DuBois, Chair of Citizens for an Ethical Orange County, the political committee set up for this campaign. “It is unfortunate that it couldn’t happen but I believe there are those that may initiate the petition in a different form and with slightly different language.”
One major problem was Randolph’s insistence to make the petition partisan from the start. Randolph intended to collect the signatures needed to qualify for the ballot at the polls last November and during early voting. His efforts fell far short despite more than $20,000 of in-kind contributions and time spent collecting petitions from the Orange County Democrats. This committee was funded entirely by the new Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph and the local Orange County Democratic Party, where Randolph also serves as party chair.
DuBois quickly changed the language on the website for Ethical Orange when he became campaign Chair and extended outreach across party lines. Republicans have supported the idea of making local elections partisan in the past and even Orange County Republican Party Chair Lew Oliver thinks it would be better for voters to know the party of candidates.
Making county elections partisan would also return local elections to the November ballot, when most voters are at the polls.
“We as a community need as many of our citizens playing a role in county government through the voting process and moving the elections to November makes sense,” DuBois added.
It is very likely that this bipartisan effort will resurface without Randolph as the face and lead. For now though, the push for partisan elections for County offices is off.
[…] front of the official Orange County Democratic Party meeting, Randolph blamed his recent failure to put partisan elections on the ballot on Supervisor Cowles and an apparent misinterpretation of Florida election law. It is always a […]