Supervisor of Elections James Satcher facing lawsuit

Manatee County Supervisor of Elections James Satcher is facing a lawsuit for not placing a school board seat on the November ballot, according to court records. Former School Board member Rev. James Golden recently filed a lawsuit stating that Satcher did not accept his qualifying paperwork for the District 5 School Board seat. Golden contends that his name should be on the ballot because School Board Member Richard Tatem resigned in May to run for the District 72 Florida House seat.

"Rev. Golden has qualified for the 2024 election for District 5 within the time prescribed by law, or otherwise has done everything he could do to attempt to qualify," the lawsuit states. "Only the supervisor’s unconstitutional and illegal refusal to accept his qualifying paperwork has prevented Rev. Golden from qualifying for that office." According to the Florida Constitution, counties must hold an election if more than 28 months remain in an officeholder’s term when they resign. If less than 28 months remain, the governor appoints a replacement.

Satcher stated that Governor Ron DeSantis will decide who will fill the vacant seat after consulting "outside counsel" for a legal interpretation. "He’s referring back to outdated law," Satcher responded. "The Right-to-Run law has been voted on by the Florida Legislature and signed by Gov. DeSantis, clarifying what was previously a murky issue. There’s no question about it. The law as it stands today means our calculations should count the effective date of the resignation to determine whether or not it goes onto the ballot. I’m duty-bound to uphold that law."

Golden, who served on the School Board from 2018 to 2022, argued that voters should decide who represents them. "What I hope to come out of this is that the people will have an opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to elect the representative to succeed the incumbent who has decided to file for another office," Golden stated. Nancy Sanders, another candidate who attempted to run for the District 5 seat, also supports Golden’s lawsuit. In a sworn statement, she said Satcher’s office did not allow her to submit paperwork because they were waiting for an attorney’s opinion.

The lawsuit follows criticism from local political groups who argued that Satcher should hold an election to fill the seat that will become vacant in November. "The League of Women Voters envisions a democracy where citizens have the right and ability to determine who represents them on governing bodies," the organization said in a statement. Critics argue that Satcher’s decision disenfranchised voters.

"The decision of the SOE demonstrates a complete lack of competence," the Manatee County Democratic Party said in a statement. "There are serious concerns that the SOE is acting unethically, and potentially unlawfully, by not allowing the required special election." Golden’s lawsuit asks a Manatee County judge to rule on the issue, though it is unclear whether that will happen before the general election in November.