by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Though City Council member Gwen Chandler pulled out of the race for supervisor of elections, Republican incumbent John Stafford still faces competition from Democrats Kathy Finn and Terry Wood. All three candidates have lived in Jacksonville for several years and, not surprisingly, each say they know what’s best for the Supervisor of Elections Office.
Kathy Finn
Democrat candidate Kathy Finn was born and raised in Jacksonville. When she saw the Supervisor of Elections job was up for reelection, she jumped at the chance to get into the race.
“For the past four years,” said Finn, a Democrat, “I’ve read articles in the paper about our elections and the problems that we were having. I saw an opportunity to make them run they way they should be running.”
Finn, who has a bachelor’s degree in finance, said customer service and voter education are the cornerstones of her campaign and will carryover if elected.
“Educating our voters is very important if we’re going to provide a level playing field for all of the candidates in our elections,” she said. “Right now, I don’t think that office is providing that. When it’s all said and done, I want to count every vote and I want to make every vote count.”
Finn, a Westside resident who runs a brass and silver polishing business with her husband, said her understanding of employee management will help her run an efficient office on a day-to-day basis.
“I have no turnover,” said Finn. “That’s all due to the simple fact that I always have, and will continue to, take care of my people.”
Finn has also been involved in the the Jacksonville Charter Revision Committee, the Jacksonville Historical Society and the Women’s Giving Alliance.
As far as the election is concerned, Finn is more than looking forward to it.
“Considering the past four years,” she said, “this is the most important election right now because we need someone who will let the voters know that their votes do count. If I’m elected, I will be available to every voter and I plan to visit every poll in the county. I want to be a voter promoter.”
John Stafford
John Stafford is not only the Republican candidate running, he’s also the incumbent with four years previous experience. Though he admitted that campaigning for reelection while also overseeing the Supervisor of Elections Office on a daily basis can be difficult, he said he’s ready for the challenge.
“It’s not easy,” said Stafford. “I can’t be here in on the actual election day, but I will have everything prepared both at the office and for my campaign by then.”
Despite having to pull double duty, Stafford is quick to point out that his experience and past dedication to the job are obvious advantages.
“I’m the only candidate that’s experienced,” said Stafford. “I really enjoy what I do and I believe that we’ve made great strides while I have been in office. I’m ready to continue to move forward.”
Stafford has been in Jacksonville nearly all of his life. His father, who served in the military and was stationed in Pensacola, moved the family to Jacksonville while Stafford was still an infant. Since then, Stafford has been actively involved in the Florida Association of Supervisors of Elections, the Get Out and Vote program and also the New Supervisor’s Caucus Committee from 1999-2000. Prior to being elected in 1999, Stafford served as the assistant supervisor of elections for six years.
“If I’m reelected, I’m looking forward to building on our education, technology and community involvement efforts,” said Stafford. “We’ve been very committed to those projects and I’m pleased. We’ve turned things around and we’re reaching a lot of people.”
Terry Wood
Terry Wood is confident that his 20 years of experience in a public office will serve him well if elected. Also a Democrat, Wood previously served five terms on the City Council and during that time participated on all of the major committees.
“I’m running for Duval County’s supervisor of elections because I feel that I bring the leadership and the vision to help the office be what it can and should be,” said Wood. “They have a lot of great people working over there who need that leadership.”
Wood, a Mandarin resident who was born and raised in Jacksonville, said he is eager to step back into the public life.
“My passion is local government,” he said. “With my experience on the City Council, I have a familiarity of public policy. Basically, I know how local government works and I know how to work with local government. I understand the big picture.”
Wood, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida State University and the University of Florida, respectively, is currently the property manager of Gateway Shopping Center.
“I have managed multi-million dollar operations and over 30 employees,” he said. “I feel like I have the ability to focus on the future.”
In addition to his work on Council, Wood is currently a member of the Gator Bowl Association Board, the Florida and National Associations of Counties and the Tourist Development Council.
“I’m looking forward to running an office that operates efficiently and can be held accountable,” he said. “When I was working on the Council, I had an opportunity to bring a lot of wonderful programs to Jacksonville through policy. Now, I’m looking forward to working in an administrative capacity.”