Speiser reshapes Broward clerk of courts race

Former circuit judge enters in attempt to unseat Brenda Forman

A late entry has once again reshaped the race for Broward Clerk of Courts.

Former Broward Circuit Judge Mark Speiser joined the race in June, while former teacher and onetime candidate Christopher Hugley is out.

That leaves incumbent Brenda Forman running against two former judges: Paul Backman, who spent a year following his retirement from the bench planning his political return, and Speiser, who jumped in when Forman’s exhusband and political predecessor jumped out of the race last month.

Speiser, like Backman, is a longtime, respected jurist unaccustomed to the partisan campaign trail.

Unlike

Backman,

Speiser had the opportunity in the course of his job to issue a ruling on the incumbent’s honesty, a ruling Speiser says led to an act of retaliation that helped convince him change was needed in the clerk’s office.

The ruling came in March 2018. The previous year, Howard Forman filed for divorce and Brenda Forman filed a petition for guardianship of his finances, arguing her husband was showing early signs of dementia. Speiser ruled for Howard Forman and said Brenda Forman filed her petition in bad faith, a decision that cost her thousands in legal fees.

The following year, when Speiser retired but returned to work unpaid as a senior judge, Brenda Forman refused to assign him a clerk — a clerk works in every judge’s courtroom to make sure decisions are properly catalogued and case files are kept up to date.

“It was a classic example of using a public office for private retribution,” Speiser said.

Backman had similar criticisms of Forman’s job performance and promised during an interview with the South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Board to bring “dignity, professionalism and innovation back to the office.”

Speiser’s late entry left him scrambling in the endorsement race.

Backman has so far picked up the recommendations of the AFLCIO labor union, the Broward sheriff’s deputies union, the Fort Lauderdale police union and the Broward firefighters, among others.

Forman, who did not return a message seeking comment and did not attend the interview with the other candidates, runs with the benefit of incumbency.

On the campaign trail she has touted her experience and her management skills.

She told a virtual forum of the League of Women Voters and the American Civil Liberties Union last week that she has been a licensed real estate agent for 16 years and ran her own mortgage company before the housing market crashed in 2008.

She also took credit for technological improvements made in the clerk’s office since her tenure began.

Forman was a political neophyte when she ran four years ago, aided by her marriage to her predecessor, who went into retirement. The marriage fell apart months after she took office.

She has also faced criticism and a criminal investigation for seeking a restraining

order and filing a Bar complaint against Bill Gelin, an attorney who followed her around the courthouse to take a picture for his online blog. The Bar complaint is still pending. The criminal investigation resulted in no charges filed.

The campaign was in full swing when the COVID-19 crisis hit. Christopher Hugley, already struggling to gain traction against far more experienced politicians, dropped out last month.

“COVID-19 worsened our efforts to garner more recognition and momentum,” he said in a statement posted to his campaign website.

Now the campaign has moved online, with teleconferences replacing club meeting rooms.

Speiser said he was approached to run by political allies who saw a void a month ago when Howard

Forman dropped out.

Both Backman and Speiser have run for office before — judicial offices are elected. But judicial races are non-partisan, and candidates are by and large prohibited from negative campaigning.

So far, Speiser and Backman have largely refrained from criticizing each other personally, though Speiser said his candidacy reflects a lack of confidence in Backman’s administrative skills while Backman said Speiser’s last-minute entry in the race “creates a lane for Brenda to be re-elected.”

The Aug. 18 primary for county clerk is open to all voters, regardless of party, because no Republicans or third party candidates qualified to run.