Seminole County commissioners on Tuesday selected Jay Zembower to serve as the county’s new chairman, an annual process conducted by the board on the second Tuesday every November.
“Thank you very much, I appreciate the confidence of the vote from all of you,” said Zembower after the unanimous vote by his fellow board members. He replaces Commissioner Amy Lockhart.
The county chair presides over county commission meetings, signs legal documents on behalf of the commission and appoints fellow commissioners to committees.
The commission chair selection, however, brings a level of political interest not seen in recent years, as Lockhart and other county officials clashed with Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson.
The county chair also sits on Seminole’s canvassing board — which every election cycle oversees the voting process in the county — along with a county judge and the supervisor of elections. The canvassing board is responsible for testing voting machines, overseeing the counting of ballots and conducting a post-election audit of the voting system.
Anderson — who is Seminole’s first Black supervisor of elections — has expressed concerns about racism in the county, including in letters and in an emotional video he posted on TikTok in late August.
In response, then-chair Lockhart sent a letter on Oct. 3 to Gov. Ron DeSantis, which asked his office to investigate what she called Anderson’s “erratic” and “combative” conduct.
“Mr. Anderson’s outward displays of resentment include candidates who will be on the ballot in an upcoming election,” Lockhart said in her missive. “One must wonder if they will be able to participate confidently in the electoral process and without fear of retaliation by the person counting the votes.”
The Governor’s Office has not said publicly whether it will pursue Lockhart’s request for an investigation.
On Nov. 3, Anderson and other members of the canvassing board — including Lockhart — had a tense meeting in which Anderson called to remove Phil Kaprow as the board’s attorney. But Lockhart and county Judge Carsandra Buie voted to keep Kaprow as the canvassing board’s attorney.
The tension comes less than a year before a large countywide election in November 2024, in which Seminole voters will cast ballots for an array of candidates — including the U.S. President, U.S. Senator, Congressional and state representatives, along with three county commission candidates and five county constitutional officers. Anderson’s position as supervisor of elections will be on the ballot next year, and he has said he plans to seek reelection.
As the new chairman, Zembower will serve on the canvassing board for that next election cycle. However, Lockhart will stand in for Zembower at the next canvassing board meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Supervisor of Elections Office, 1500 E. Airport Blvd., in Sanford.
Commissioners on Tuesday also selected Andria Herr to continue serving as the board’s vice chair.
Zembower last served as chair in 2020 during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic when local governments were struggling with whether to impose restrictions to prevent the spread of the disease.
“Does somebody know something about a pandemic about to break out?” Zembower joked after Tuesday’s vote from commissioners.
He later lauded Lockhart for serving as chair when the board hired this year county Manager Darren Gray and county Attorney Kate LaTorre.
“I’d like to take a moment and thank Chairman Lockhart for her leadership in on-boarding a new county manager and a new county attorney — the two key positions in our county,” Zembower said.
mcomas@orlandosentinel.com
