by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
The qualifying period for candidates eying the Supervisor of Elections post ended quietly Tuesday afternoon, giving way to few surprises and even fewer present at the downtown Supervisor of Elections Office to witness it.
Typically serving as a publicity boost for last-minute campaign contenders, no one charged through the doors waving signed papers. Only one previously announced candidate, former City Council member Gwen Chandler, failed to make good on her intentions to seek the office formerly held by John Stafford.
That’s twice that Chandler has withdrawn from a Supervisor campaign. During 2002’s election of the post, moments before that qualifying period ended, she withdrew her name from the ballot and her check from her elections office file.
Others, however, did yield the $7,000 qualifying fee before yesterday’s noon cutoff including Council members Faye Rustin and Jerry Holland, radio talk show host and former Florida House member Andy Johnson, past Council president Warren Jones, writer and financial specialist Darcy Richardson and perennial candidate Lem Sharp, who most recently ran and lost to John Rutherford in a bid to become Sheriff.
Former Jacksonville Community Council Inc. executive director Lois Chepenik qualified by petition two weeks ago. More than 1,200 signatures are required to do so and Chepenik offered 1,600.
The election of Stafford’s replacement — he resigned earlier this year following a stroke and subsequent medical complications — will take place on Feb. 15. A runoff, if needed, will follow on March 29.
Elections to fill Rustin’s and Holland’s vacated Council seats will also be held then.