Political Consultant Exploring Run For Supervisor
BY BUDDY NEVINS
The media is again speculating about Supervisor of Elections Brenda Snipes’ future.
Snipes told the Miami Herald once again this week that she is still undecided about whether to run for another term next year.
It’s the same thing she told Browardbeat.com 10 months ago.
Since that post, Snipes has been criticized for holding County Commission District 2’s election in December and for various other mistakes.
A large portion of the political world already assumes that Snipes is going to retire in 2016.
One potential candidate for supervisor is not waiting for Snipes to make a decision. Campaign strategist David Brown has been talking to possible supporters throughout Broward for at least two months.
Brown ran for supervisor in 2000. It was a three-way Democratic race – Brown, Miriam Oliphant and Joe Cotter — after former state Rep. Tracy Stafford, D-Wilton Manors, dropped out before the qualifying period.
The 2000 election marked the height of former Public Defender Alan Schreiber’s political power. Oliphant worked for the PD’s Office – some say it was one of those phony jobs Schreiber created for political allies and friends.
Schreiber raised money for Oliphant. At one fundraiser alone, he raised more than $25,000. Schreiber gave his employees time off to work for the Oliphant campaign. He also controlled a number of precinct Democratic committeemen and women.
There is no doubt that Schreiber and his Public Defender’s Office political machine was instrumental in helping Oliphant win….and we know how that turned out.
She was removed from office in Nov., 2003 for incompetence after bungling the 2002 election and overspending her budget by $1 million.
Snipes, a retired Broward public schools area director, was appointed as a replacement by Gov. Jeb Bush and has been there ever since.
Yes, Brown is best known for his political work.
But he also is a successful business owner. His marketing and promotion business has numerous commercial clients. I have heard him on the phone during lunch take a huge order from a Honda dealer for promotional items.
In his younger days, Brown worked as a legislative assistant to Congressional powerhouse Dan Rostenkowski, D-Ill., and U. S. Rep. John Cavanaugh, D-Neb.
Brown told me that “if” he ran, his platform would consist of a pledge to help increase voter turnout and voter registration.
Other than Brown, those being discussed to replace Snipes include state Sen. Eleanor Sobel, the Hollywood Democrat termed out in 2016, and Bernadette Norris-Weeks, attorney for Snipes’ office who is said to be supervisor’s favorite to replace her.
January 13th, 2015 at 6:33 pm
Eleanor Sobel is a babbling bundle of confused thinking and the only thing she’s ever run is her mouth. She couldn’t manage her way out of a paper bag and has been a disaster since she first ran for office. A hot mess, the best thing for us all is that she retire.
January 13th, 2015 at 9:20 pm
Let’s not forget Lisa Duke. She knows how the election system works and she knows how to work the absentee ballot portion. She has a base of voters who would elect her in a heartbeat.
January 13th, 2015 at 9:31 pm
Lisa doesn’t stand a chance. She and her husband have not exactly been on the positive side of winning friends. She is rude and not friendly. All of those years of trusting people like suit will haunt her and she can’t win countywide.
January 13th, 2015 at 10:55 pm
B N W has concession stands to operate at FLL, thanks Dale & Chump
January 14th, 2015 at 12:14 am
@2
Plus, she’s kinda easy on the eyes…
January 14th, 2015 at 10:30 am
The David Brown Campaign Platform: A minimum of two free SOE-branded pens, beer koozies, pill organizers, and refrigerator magnets per registered voter! If they live in Wynmoor, Kingspoint, or Century Village, they will receive an additional water bottle as well!
January 14th, 2015 at 11:17 am
Steve Geller and Franklin Sands. Both big losers and managed by David Brown’s fine campaign skills. I expect him to do as well with his own campaign as he did with them. Good luck.
January 14th, 2015 at 11:26 am
Lori Parish would be perfect for the job…but she is needed in her present position…..
January 14th, 2015 at 11:48 am
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/hyattsville-becomes-second-city-in-the-us-to-lower-voting-age-to-16/2015/01/07/24a7c8be-95c7-11e4-aabd-d0b93ff613d5_story.html
Hyattsville [MD] has become the second municipality in the country to lower the voting age for city elections to 16, nearly two years after its progressive neighbors in Takoma Park took similar steps…
January 14th, 2015 at 1:50 pm
Judge Steve Feren, Andrea Gundersen for Judge and Steve Peerman.
FROM BUDDY:
Brown worked on the campaign of these candidates. He helped, but did not manage Feren’s re-election.
January 14th, 2015 at 2:27 pm
I guess David didn’t do the mail piece that questioned Judge Contini’s commitment to being sober?
Brown drove Feren around to polling places and was with him at most campaign events and forums. It was David playing his games putting a clicking camera in Contini’s face to distract him at speaking engagements. Ask Contini or his people, maybe Barbra Miller was involved, but David put himself out there as the person running the campaign. If Feren won, David would have claimed the victory as his own.
FROM BUDDY:
David uses the exact language I used in my explanation. He “helped” but did not manage Feren’s campaign. What you describe above is apparently within his definition of “help.”
And Barbara Miller was involved with Feren’s campaign.
January 14th, 2015 at 5:16 pm
Miller was paid 5000
Campaign Associates approx. between 18-19k.
Total campaign spent approx. 80k
Top paid consultant paid by the campaign but not running it. umm ok.
FROM BUDDY:
Those statistics are interesting. Do they include all the promotional material Brown sells, such as signs, handouts, etc.? I am only writing what Brown told me, which is that he “helped” but was not the manager.
January 15th, 2015 at 8:01 am
There are a number of expenditures 2 for 5k, another for 2500 and others of random amounts, non round amounts, I would guess the non round amounts were for items.
What does this all mean, for me, it sounds like a person who does not want to own up when their team loses. Snipes, Brown or whoever, the last thing SOE needs is another in the 21st century succession of Supervisors in Broward who pass the buck and avoid blame when things go wrong.
January 18th, 2015 at 3:31 pm
Have you gotten confirmation that Naferdi herself Dr.Snipes is confirming that she is not running again. Also isn’t Comm.Ritter still interested. If dr.Snipes doesn’t run again whoever fills that postion boy do they have alot of work to do. First that upper mangement staff (yes you Fasto Fred Bellis should be shown the door-call me a liar you fat bastard). There is a few more to that beed to go. Dr.Snipes spends money in that office like water. My biggest complaint is her bitter resentmnet against former County Comm.John rodstrom and his wife. Fine Dr.Snipes get even, get revenge ,whatever, but on your dime ,not ours. May the best canidate win. Besides Stacey Ritter(?)I would like to see some other canidates that won’t kiss these lobbyist ass’…