Gov. DeSantis appoints Robert Bender to Escambia Supervisor of Elections

Escambia Commissioner Robert Bender is changing jobs. He’s the county’s new Supervisor of Elections.

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Bender to replace David Stafford, who resigned from the post last week for a job as a federal election security adviser.

Bender heads to the Supervisor of Elections Office after more than six years on the five-seat County Commission, two of which as Chair.

He’ll have to get acclimated quickly; Florida’s Presidential Primary is in March.

As reported by the Pensacola News Journal, Stafford sent DeSantis a resignation letter on Dec. 19, informing the Governor of his plan to step down on Jan. 15 for a job with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Stafford had served in the position since his election in 2004. Before that, he worked as Chief of Staff to former U.S. Rep. Joe Scarborough and followed the Congressman into TV as a senior writer and producer at MSNBC.

Stafford’s resignation and Bender’s appointment opens another vacancy DeSantis may soon fill on the Escambia Commission. Bender represented District 4, which covered a southeastern portion of Florida’s northwesternmost county. The seat is up for grabs in the November election.

Bender, a Republican, is a member of the Florida Association of Counties Board of Directors, Gulf Consortium Board of Directors and Secretary-Treasurer of the Institute for County Government.

He holds a master of business administration from Emory University.