A Florida appeals court has upheld the disqualification of Tamarac Commissioner Morey Wright Jr. from the Nov. 3 election. The Fourth District Court of Appeal issued a seven-page opinion Wednesday that affirmed a Broward Circuit Court ruling from Oct. 14 by Judge Michael A. Robinson.
The court said Wright did not meet mandatory qualifying requirements for the District 2 commission seat. He had argued that he “substantially complied” with state election law, but the judges said partial compliance is not enough. “Disqualification may be a harsh result, but we must enforce the law as written,” the court wrote. The decision was unanimous and took effect immediately.
The court found that Wright did not properly designate a primary campaign bank account or appoint himself deputy campaign treasurer before paying his qualifying fee. On June 12, the last day of qualifying, he filed a form with several required sections blank, and he did not sign the deputy treasurer line. The clerk’s acceptance of those papers did not change the result, the court said, because the filing came on the final day and the city had no duty to flag the errors.
Former Commissioner Mike Gelin sued to remove Wright after finding the problems. Wright’s name remains on ballots printed before the ruling, and Broward elections officials are sending notices telling voters that votes for him will not count.
A separate lawsuit filed Oct. 22 by two Tamarac voters asks a judge to postpone the District 2 election and reopen candidate qualifying. The suit names the city, City Manager Levent Sucuoglu, City Clerk Kimberly Dillon and Broward Supervisor of Elections Joe Scott. No ruling on the emergency injunction had been issued as of Thursday morning, according to online court records.
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