Two candidates are now vying for the Lee County Supervisor of Elections seat after newly appointed incumbent Jenna Persons-Mulicka and Fort Myers resident DeMaria Artis jumped in the race this week.
The filings come shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped Persons-Mulicka to fill the vacancy after former Supervisor Tommy Doyle retired in January.
Persons-Mulicka, a Republican, officially filed her candidacy paperwork Thursday, May 21, the same day she signed her Oath of Office. She is joined in the race by Artis, a Fort Myers resident running with No Party Affiliation.
Who’s running to be the Supervisor of Elections?
Persons-Mulicka, a former state representative, submitted her campaign file cover sheet identifying herself as the incumbent for the post. Since 2020, she’s represented Florida House District 78, which covers the City of Fort Myers and parts of Lee County. She is also a founding partner and attorney at Strayhorn & Persons-Mulicka.
Persons-Mulicka earned her bachelor’s degrees in journalism and government from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, and her law degree from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Her new opponent, DeMaria Artis, is a 30-year-old resident of Fort Myers who filed to run as no party affiliation. Artis also listed a campaign website: www.voteartis.com.
Persons-Mulicka appointed to the Supervisor of Elections office
The Lee County Supervisor of Elections Office announced that Persons-Mulicka signed her Oath of Office May 21. Chief Deputy Bernie Feliciano served as the acting Supervisor of Elections since Doyle’s retirement in January. The position pays nearly $190,000 annually.
The Lee County Supervisor of Elections Office released a statement welcoming Persons-Mulicka.
“The Lee County Elections Office congratulates Jenna Persons-Mulicka on her appointment as the new Lee County Supervisor of Elections,” the Elections Office said in a statement. “The Elections Office looks forward to working with Supervisor Persons-Mulicka and collaborating with her to provide secure, transparent and accessible elections while upholding the organization’s mission to deliver superior election services to the voters of Lee County.”
How does the new Supervisor plan to approach election integrity?
Persons-Mulicka described the appointment as a significant honor and highlighted her legislative background in election law.
“HONORED to be appointed Lee County Supervisor of Elections by Governor Ron DeSantis. Florida is the GOLD STANDARD for safe & secure elections,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “I was proud to help build that legacy, carrying some of our toughest election integrity laws in state history. Now we take it further. Florida is a FIREWALL against fraud, and Lee County will be the tip of the spear!”
According to her campaign website, she intends to implement strong safeguards and verify voter rolls to ensure every voter knows their vote counts.
How will the office address concerns about conflict of interest?
The appointment brought scrutiny regarding potential conflicts of interest because, as Persons-Mulicka comes into the role in a county where her husband, David Mulicka, serves on the Lee County Commission and her father, Armor Persons, sits on the Lee County School Board. The Persons have been in Lee County for at least six generations.
“We understand that public trust is paramount in election administration. Ultimately, every Supervisor of Elections takes an oath to faithfully perform their duties as prescribed in the State Constitution,” Gaby Aguirre, communications director for the elections office, told The News-Press & Naples Daily News Friday, May 22. “The office complies with Florida election laws, which establish a system of checks and balances for each election. This includes the statutorily required County Canvassing Board, which oversees key aspects of the process. We also adhere to strict chain-of-custody procedures that account for every step. Voters can trust that the office will continue to operate with complete transparency and integrity at every level, as it always has.”
What happens to the vacant Florida House seat?
The departure of Persons-Mulicka from the legislature makes Florida House District 78 an open seat for the 2026 election cycle.
Republican Susan Frantz, a Fort Myers business owner, transferred her candidacy from the 2028 cycle to the 2026 election May 20. She entered the race with approximately $130,000, she shared.
“I’m running to safeguard constitutional freedoms, keep extremist ideas out of our classrooms, and preserve Lee County as an affordable place for families seeking opportunity in the Free State of Florida,” Frantz said in a statement. “I’ve been blessed to call this community my home my entire life and I’m ready to fight for our conservative values in Tallahassee.”
Frantz is the founder of Frantz Marketing Solutions, which she has operated for more than 15 years. She also serves on the advisory board for Florida Gulf Coast University’s Lutgert College of Business and on the board for the nonprofit Our Mother’s Home.
Democrat Cindy Banyai, a business owner, teacher and civic leader who previously was Persons-Mulicka’s sole opponent for the District 78 seat, reacted to the appointment on social media.
“DeSantis appoints fascist foot soldier Jenna Persons-Mulicka to Lee County Supervisor of Elections where she will oversee the implementation of her voter suppression law in person,” Banyai posted on Facebook. “We can win this thing and defeat the next fascist foot soldier put up by developer dollar.”
Banyai lost a narrow race with Councilman Liston Bochette for the Fort Myers City Council Ward 4 seat in 2024 and previously ran against Byron Donalds for the Congressional District 19 seat in 2022 and 2020.
What are the deadlines for the 2026 election cycle?
The appointment comes weeks before the qualifying period closes. Candidates can file to run or change races until noon June 12.
Because Persons-Mulicka is leaving her legislative seat, DeSantis must decide whether to call a special election. Without one, the District 78 seat would remain vacant until the general election in November.
What is the legislative background of the new Supervisor?
During her six years in the Florida House, Persons-Mulicka focused on election law and state security. She sponsored HB 991, which increased citizenship verification requirements and limited the types of voter identification accepted at polling places.
Critics said the bill could disenfranchise eligible voters. Persons-Mulicka and others defended it as protecting election integrity.
“While the important debate over the SAVE America Act happens on the national stage, we can, and must, continue to lead in Florida as the gold standard in election integrity,” she said during a committee hearing. “This bill strengthens our citizenship verification process, provides a commonsense list of voter ID, and stops foreign interference in our elections.”
Persons-Mulicka also backed legislation that changed public-sector unions and served on the House Select Committee on Congressional Redistricting.
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Mickenzie Hannon is a watchdog reporter for The News-Press and Naples Daily News, covering Collier and Lee counties. Contact her at 239-435-3423 or mhannon@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Two candidates bid for Elections seat after DeSantis taps incumbent
Reporting by Mickenzie Hannon, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Naples Daily News
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