Ryan Nicol
Chad Klitzman is bringing on Samantha Pollara as a finance consultant as he competes to be the next Supervisor of Elections (SOE) in Broward County.
Pollara — whose brother Ben Pollara is also a staple of the Florida political scene — previously served as the Florida Finance Director for Pete Buttigieg‘s presidential campaign. She also worked on finance for Jane Castor‘s Tampa mayoral campaign and Sean Shaw‘s 2018 Attorney General bid.
“We need people like Chad running elections offices,” Pollara said in a Thursday statement.
“Chad Klitzman has a bold agenda and it is clear that his fresh perspective can usher the Broward elections operation into the future. We also need more strong LGBTQ+ leaders like Chad, and I am proud to work to help elect Florida’s first openly LGBTQ+ constitutional officer.”
Klitzman said he was “honored to have someone as experienced in fundraising as Pollara come on board the team, ensuring the campaign continues to have the resources needed to effectively communicate with voters and support our unprecedented outreach operation.”
On Thursday, Klitzman also announced former Hollywood Mayor Peter Bober is supporting his bid. Klitzman is one of six candidates who have qualified in the Broward SOE contest.
“Chad Klitzman is exactly who we need to modernize our elections operation,” Bober said.
“Not only does Chad have the judgment, temperament and integrity to handle the rigors of this critical position but also he has the intellect, personality and attention to detail required to manage both the staff and budget of the office. Chad’s unique vision to restore confidence in the electoral process — and his commitment to voter outreach throughout his life and as a candidate through his unprecedented internship program — speaks volumes about the kind of Supervisor of Elections he is sure to become.”
Klitzman said he’s “grateful to have the support of someone as well-respected in the community as Peter Bober, a devoted public servant and leader who served Hollywood with distinction as its Mayor. Mayor Bober understands this position requires someone committed to doing the difficult work required to engage the community and protect the vote and it means so much to have his support.”
The Klitzman campaign also expanded its internship program, which now has more than 80 staffers.
The program is made up of college students, Broward County public school students and recent college graduates. Klitzman said he wanted to give summer options to those individuals still feeling the effect of the coronavirus outbreak.
“As soon as the pandemic hit, I knew students would be scrambling for meaningful virtual summer opportunities and the demand was staggering,” Klitzman said.
Ruth Carter-Lynch, Mitch Ceasar, Timothy Lonergan, Catherine Seei McBreen and Joe Scott are also competing in the Broward SOE contest.
