‘The voice of Pinellas voters has never been more secure’: Bob Gualtieri backs Julie Marcus for Pinellas Supervisor

Image via Julie Marcus campaign

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri has endorsed Julie Marcus for re-election as Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections.

His endorsement comes just as Marcus drew a challenger. Republican Christopher Gleason has filed to challenge Marcus, setting up an open GOP Primary if no one else jumps in. Gleason has not yet qualified, however. He has until Friday at noon to do so.

“Julie Marcus is a consummate professional who works diligently to ensure our elections are administered fairly and according to the law,” Gualtieri said. “Over her 20-year career as the Supervisor of Elections office, Julie has administered over 300 successful elections and multiple audits to ensure accountability. The voice of Pinellas voters has never been more secure. I’m proud to endorse Julie Marcus for Supervisor of Elections.”

Marcus announced in October she would seek re-election. Her career spans more than 20 years in the county’s election administration. She has overseen more than 300 local and more than 25 countywide elections and has directed numerous machine and manual recounts. Her résumé also boasts experience with post-election audits and the implementation of new voting systems.

Marcus has also spearheaded advancements in voter registration list maintenance, and her initiatives have sought to improve transparency, including through the acquisition of an audit system that verifies each vote across all contests and precincts.

She has so far raised more than $65,000 for her re-election, setting up a tall order for her new challenger.

Marcus said she was grateful for Gualtieri’s support.

“My office maintains a steadfast commitment to election security, and we work closely with law enforcement agencies to protect the integrity of every vote,” she said.

Gualtieri adds to an extensive list of supporters who are most Republicans, like Marcus.

In all she has 60 endorsements, including some top names in state and local politics such as U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Anna Paulina Luna and Laurel Lee; state Sens. Danny Burgess, Nick DiCeglie and Ed Hooper; state Reps. Kim Berfield, Linda Chaney and Berny Jacques; Pinellas County Commissioners Dave Eggers, Chris Latvala and Brian Scott, a host of local Mayors; several former elected officials, including former Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls; and fellow constitutional officers such as Charles Thomas, the Pinellas Tax Collector, and Clerk of Court Ken Burke, among others.

Marcus is a certified Elections and Registration Administrator through the Election Center and Auburn University and is an active member of the Association of Florida Supervisors of Elections.

She currently serves on the Cybersecurity Task Force where she leads as the Vice Chair of Administrative Rules. She previously served on the group’s Education Committee. Marcus also serves on the county’s Business and Technology Board.

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Marcus to serve as the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections in May 2020. She quickly announced she would seek election to the office after that appointment. She won her first race for the seat that November.

This will be Marcus’ first re-election campaign.

Marcus succeeded longtime Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark, whose retirement prompted Marcus’ appointment. Clark is among Marcus’ endorsers.

Marcus served as Clark’s chief deputy for eight years. As of her initial appointment, she had been with the office of the Supervisor of Elections for 17 years, including roles ranging from outreach manager and election services coordinator to deputy supervisor.