Melissa Blazier, Collier County Supervisor of Elections. (Photo: CCSoE)
Sept. 6, 2024 by David Silverberg
Melissa Blazier has officially been elected Supervisor of Elections for Collier County, Fla.
The election was confirmed when Edward Gubala, who was running as an independent write-in candidate in the general election, withdrew his candidacy on Wednesday, Sept. 4.
Edward Gubala (Photo: CCSoE)
Blazier won the primary election on Aug. 20 against candidates Timothy Guerrette and David Schaffel. Gubala was a write-in candidate but since he is no longer running in the November general election, she has officially been elected.
“I’m thrilled to announce that I have officially been elected as your Supervisor of Elections for the next four years!” Blazier announced in a Sept. 4 Facebook post. “My opponent, a write-in candidate, officially withdrew today, making this victory official.”
Addressing supporters, she stated: “This moment results from a year of hard work and unwavering support from all of you. I couldn't have done it without your trust and commitment to ensuring fair, ethical, and secure elections in Collier County.”
Gubala, 63, a 30-year veteran firefighter and since 2004 a Naples mortgage broker with MVP Realty, entered the race just prior to the June 14 deadline as a spoiler, or “ghost” candidate to aid Guerrette. As such he closed the primary election to non-Republicans, effectively disenfranchising 119,115 independent and Democratic Collier County voters.
Edward Gubala in Tim Guerrette campaign regalia.
Guerrette finished the primary race in third place with just 16.8 percent of the vote.
Gubala never collected or spent any money on his campaign, never posted a website or produced any campaign material and never gave media interviews or conducted campaign activities.
Ghosting candidates is a frequent, entirely legal, political tactic in Florida in order to exclude non-party members from primary elections.
Liberty lives in light
© 2024 by David Silverberg
Melissa Blazier at her desk in the Supervisor of Elections office. (Photo: Author)