MEET THE CANDIDATES: Karen Castor Dentel, Orange County Supervisor of Elections

KAREN CASTOR DENTEL

Age: 55

Residence: Maitland

Family: Mother of two college-aged students

Education: Doctoral degree from University of Florida, Master’s Degree from University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University

Profession: Orange County Public Schools Board

Qualifications: Orlando Regional History Museum board member, Junior League of Greater Orlando, League of Women Voters, chair of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Girl Scouts of Citrus Council, UCF Center for Community Schools Board, USF Anchin Center Board, Orange County Value Adjustment Board, Florida School Boards Association.

Why are you running for Orange County Supervisor of Elections? 

I’m running for Supervisor of Elections because I care about my community and want to protect our democracy. I will expand access to voting, increase turnout and safeguard the elections process so that Orange County stands out as a model of efficiency and integrity in the country. 

Discuss your previous experience and how it has prepared you to serve in this role.

As a teacher, I integrated civics lessons into my classes, preparing students to be informed and engaged in democracy. As a state representative, I filed the bill to expand early voting locations using municipal buildings, which has led to the new Eatonville early-voting location. I’m currently on the Orange County School Board, where I have created voter registration programs targeting our graduating seniors with more than 850 new registrants the last month of school. 

It is my role as a School Board member that has given me the greatest experience leading a large governmental organization with transparency. I have been accountable to my constituents for effectively overseeing a $4.9 billion budget that addresses the needs of 210,000 students and salaries of 24,000 employees. I have worked to protect vulnerable students, pushed back against book bans, expanded green energy practices to save our tax dollars and helped negotiate contracts with our hardworking labor unions. 

What are the values and morals that have guided your life, and how will you use them as Supervisor of Elections?

I am fortunate to have strong role models in my parents for serving in public office with integrity. They demonstrated the importance of working to solve problems and strengthening our community. They inspired me to become a public school teacher, to stand up for my community as a state representative and to be a voice for others on the School Board. I want to set that same example for my children and do my part to ensure our democratic system is strong in Orange County. It is my commitment of service to others that will guide me in my role as supervisor. I will create a culture of high performance, support the office staff to reduce turnover and respect their years of experience. It is vital that the supervisor’s office operates with honesty, integrity and transparency, and effectively serves the needs of the voters.

What are the key differences between you and your opponents?

There are many differences between the candidates running. I have lifelong election experience and have been devoted to public service. I grew up in a family engaged in elections and public service, and I have been a candidate myself several times. I managed the Central Florida campaign for U.S. Senate candidate Betty Castor and worked on Florida’s Fair Districts campaign to stop political gerrymandering. I have been a poll watcher on Election Day, registered hundreds of voters and given rides to the polls for those without transportation. I have interacted with the Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles and his office numerous times and am very familiar with the operation. More importantly, I am the only one to have the necessary governance experience as an elected official and record of standing up for what is right regardless of the personal political consequences. While I hold tight to my Democratic values of truth, justice, fairness and equality, I have a record of effectively serving all of my constituents equally, regardless of their political affiliation. I am honored to have the support of former students, union workers, colleagues and community leaders, such as Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer; Eatonville Mayor Angie Gardner; commissioners Tony Ortiz and Bakari Burns; and School Board members Pam Gould, Melissa Byrd, Angie Gallo, Maria Salamanca and Vicki Felder. I also have the endorsement of the Central Florida AFL-CIO, Orlando Realtors, CFHLA and the West Orange Political Alliance. 

What are the three most pressing issues facing voters and the SOE office in Orange County?

We need to expand access to make the SOE office more convenient for citizens. I will create satellite offices in areas like Lee Vista and the West Oaks Mall so folks can easily update their addresses, signatures, drop off their ballots and learn more about upcoming elections. I would initiate a mobile unit called the “Votemobile” to visit senior centers, attend parades and community events, as well as areas considered voting deserts, to engage with citizens where they are.

Second, I would safeguard the elections process and create a code of ethics for the office. To address concerns of voters and poll workers, I will appoint a director of safety and security to coordinate with law enforcement, to be in charge of emergency planning for every polling place and provide safety training for all poll workers. The code of ethics would ensure all office contracts are put out for competitive bid.

Lastly, I will work to increase voter turnout through greater communication and outreach. I will inform voters of changes in voting laws, increase education, and deliver the message in a variety of formats and languages.

Evaluate the job Glen Gilzean has done as current Supervisor of Elections.

Our current supervisor has had some missteps since being appointed, such as not counting candidate petitions in a timely manner, advertising incorrect voter info, hiring his best man with a no-bid contract and putting certain ballot initiatives in jeopardy. None of those help the confidence of the office.

I am pleased he took advantage of the language I added to statute when I was a state representative and added the Eatonville early-voting location. I will ensure the office is fully staffed and highly trained to meet the increased demands of a growing county.

If elected, what will be your strategy to encourage voter turnout and participation?

Increasing voter turnout will be the main goal of the office, and I will seek to remove barriers to voting across the county. I will expand SOE satellite offices to be in other areas of the county, such as West Orange, Lee Vista, UCF and Lake Nona. We must create a robust communications plan, making sure we reach voters in their spoken languages and in a variety of formats and media. I will engage more community partners, such as the League of Women Voters, OCPS, sororities and fraternities, and civic groups to amplify the messages about the importance of participating and making one’s voice be heard.

Discuss candidate Dan Helm’s lawsuit against Cynthia Harris and its anticipated ramifications on this election.

I agree that if a candidate is running for this office in particular, they need to know and follow the rules for qualifying to become a candidate, especially since that will become part of their job qualifying future candidates. However, the lawsuit at this time is unfortunate, because it creates confusion for voters going to the polls right now. I want to make sure the people who have cast their ballots are confident that they will count in August. 

How do you ensure voters of all political affiliations that you will fulfill the role of Supervisor of Elections fairly and without bias?

I can see how some might perceive someone with a hyper-partisan history, such as a former political party chair, would have trouble convincing the general public that he is no longer solely committed to electing members of his party.

As a School Board member, I have served in a non-partisan position, effectively working with Democrats, Republicans and Non-Party Affiliated board members and am happy to have the support of so many. I was elected to serve all the people in my district and have demonstrated my commitment to serving all students and families for the last six years. And, as a community volunteer, I have worked to help people throughout Orange County. In those roles, I have developed strong relationships with community leaders and have a broad base of support from across the political spectrum. I will continue to reach out to other organizations and be transparent in my decisions.