Joe, Bakari, and Shannon Scott.
By Jill Fox
In his bid for Broward County Supervisor of Elections, the results were a little too close for comfort for newcomer Joe Scott who edged out Chad Klitzman by just under a thousand votes in the Democratic primary.
Now, a full-time candidate, after resigning from his position at a Global 500 technology company, he faces Republican Catherine McBreen.
A resident since 2014, Scott moved to The Lakes at Parkland from New Jersey because of the excellent schools. Scott has been married to Shannon, an Army Veteran and nurse anesthetist, who has always supported his dreams and goals, for 16 years. They have a 12-year-old son, Bakari, in seventh grade at Westglades Middle School.
Scott graduated from the United States Military Academy West Point and was awarded the Bronze Star as an Army Captain combat leader in Iraq. He believes service is “in his DNA.” His mother retired from Broward Public Schools as an educator for over 40 years. His father is a retired Army Sergeant Major, and his Grandma Carrie was the first black woman to vote in Wilcox County, Alabama.
He wants to serve Broward to restore voters’ confidence in the electoral process. Like most of Broward County, he watched the aftermath of the 2018 election and wished the elections office could perform with a higher level of efficiency and professionalism.
“I believe it is critical to have well-run elections so that people don’t question the integrity of our democracy,” he said.
Having raised just over $100,000 for his campaign, Scott chose to run because he believes we will only have well-run elections if we have the right leadership.
With leadership roles in both the military and a major technology company, he said he is uniquely qualified to take on the responsibility of leading a team under stressful circumstances to accomplish a difficult mission.
From community outreach efforts to training assessments and implementing organizational change, Scott is passionate about addressing the challenges the election system faces.
While stationed in South Korea in 2006 and then Iraq in 2008, Scott used Broward County’s vote-by-mail system and confirmed that both his ballots made it and were counted.
“I believe in our vote-by-mail system, and I want to make it better and help the public feel more comfortable voting from home.
Although he touts experience, Scott said voters should choose him because of his love for and commitment to voting rights protection in Broward.
“Voters should vote for me because I will regain their trust in our voting system, making them proud to say they cast their ballot with confidence in Broward County.”
Send your news to Parkland’s #1 News Source, Parkland Talk.