Antonacci is poised to play Katherine Harris in 2020 presidential election

With the presidential election underway, it is shocking to learn that Bro ward Supervisor of Elections Peter Anton ac ci is asking Republican Gov. Ron Des ant is tobe appointed chief judge of the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings.

On second thought, given Antonacci’s history, it’ s not so shocking.

But without question, his job application raise san enormous conflict of interest.

Anton ac ci may wonder why voters in Democrat-rich Bro ward County, which plays a pivot al role in presidential elections, view him with skepticism. But consider that when former Gov. Rick Scott put him in charge of running elections here—including the 2020 presidential election—Anton ac ci was a Tallahassee Republican lawyer with zero experience in running elections. He was, however, known as the Republican governor’ s political fixer.

That he raised his hand late Thursday for this plum job helps explain the raised eyebrows. By asking for this appointment, Anton ac ci has put himself in a submissive posture before today’ s Republican governor, who clearly wants President Trump re-elected.

De San tis owes the president, after all, for helping him overcome obscurity and win the governor’ s mansion two years ago. Just last week, the president said that if he is not re-elected, he will work to “fire” DeSantis.

So more than the White House is on the line in Bro ward. Soare DeSantis’s political fortunes.

Given that Anton a cc ii snow asking the governor for a big-time favor, how can we trust any decision he makes during these critical voting days and those that could follow if the election is a squeaker, as it so often is?

Just this week, Anton ac ci refused to enforce the county’ s emergency public health order requiring people to wear face masks inside public places, including early voting sites. Is he trying to send a subtle message that voting isn’t safe, thereby scaring away seniors and de pressing the vote in this blue county? Or is he simply trying to please a governor who doesn’ t want county mask orders enforced, even with C OVID -19 cases continuing to climb?

One thing is certain. If Anton ac ci crosses the governor, there’ s no way he will get this top job. For while the other three members of Florida’ s Republican-dominated Cabinet also get a vote, his selection will go nowhere without the governor’ s blessing.

Antonacci know show these things work from having worked in the governor’ s office as Rick Scott’ s general counsel. He wouldn’t have put his name in the public pool without good reason to believe he will getafter his current appointment expires in January. That’ s when a supervisor chosen by Bro ward voters will take back the elections office.

We can’ t help but recall how Anton ac ci ,71, led us to believe that this job would be his last.

Now, by scurrying for the next one, he casts a cloud of suspicion over any good he might have done.

It’ s hardly the first time Anton ac ci has failed to put the interests of Bro ward voters first.

During the primary, unlike his counterparts in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, he scheduled only nine days of early voting, just one more than the minimum required by law.

He also fought the self-implementation of Amendment 4, which 72 percent of Bro ward voters approved believing certainshould have their voting rights restored. Anton ac ci sided with the Republican Legislature.

Last November, he also sent “final notices” to 54,000 voters warning that he had information that they no longer lived at the address they claimed. One of the wrong ly flagged voters was Ken Evans, state committee man for the Bro ward Democratic Party and a Democratic National Committee member. He has lived in the same home for two decades and has been a faithful voter since 1973. Anton ac ci blamed technology for his chilling mistake.

In May, Anton ac ci also sent an English only postcard to all voters in this minority-minority-encouraging them to vote by mail. And in July, just three days before the deadline to register to vote in the primary, his website went down for maintenance.

During the infamous 2000 re count, former Republican Secretary of State Katherine Harris proved the power of a partisan electionssway the outcome of ap residential election.

With Anton ac ci having signaled where his future bread will be buttered, watch out.