Local

Clerical error could mean costly special election

State Rep. Reggie Fullwood will face competition in the race for State House District 13. A notary public failed to place a check mark at the bottom of a required campaign form, but the oversight was not caught until it was too late. No one else had filed to run for the seat, so a new election will have to be held.

“We've asked for the first election to be done at the same time as the November general to save us some money there,” Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland told Action News.

Since then, City Council Member Johnny Gaffney has announced plans to run against Fullwood in the Democratic primary for the seat. Holland said if Republican candidates also choose to run, a second election would have to be held a few weeks later.

“There's about 36 to 38 precincts in that district and we're looking at anyone from $85,000 to $100,000 to staff those precincts,” Holland said. “So you know it is expensive even to have that one special election.”

Fullwood did not return messages left by Action News at his office but told the News Service of Florida that the clerical oversight was “an honest mistake.” He also said he could have turned his forms in earlier to avoid the situation.

Gov. Rick Scott has not yet set a qualifying date for the election, and has not set a final date for voting.