DeSantis Replaces Resigned School Board Member With Losing Candidate

Photo of Governor Ron DeSantis and Dereck Barrs. Photo by Governor Ron DeSantis on Facebook | Dereck D. Barrs on Facebook

If someone loses an election, is it fair for him to be quickly appointed to a similar position anyway? This is what happened with Dereck Barrs after the Florida Primary Election.

Governor Ron DeSantis had originally endorsed Barrs in an X post on July 19, but on August 20, Barrs still lost the Primary Election for the District 3 School Board seat to Janie Ruddy by 290 votes. However, as of October 30, DeSantis appointed Barrs to fill the vacant seat left by Sally Hunt for District 1 after she resigned. 

Hunt resigned as a Flagler County School Board Member, District 1, on September 20, exactly one month to the day after the election. This timing allowed DeSantis to appoint her replacement instead of the empty seat going on a ballot. 

Hunt’s resignation letter is also worth discussing, as she expressed that her “early departure from the Board was not an intended or desired outcome”. She added that she is “disheartened by and departing because of the manipulation of truth and the lies that continue to be shared and accepted regarding targeted Board members and the District as a whole”.
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Article by Ema Tibbetts