DeLand, FL - Volusia County's elections chief says she's leaving her post soon after this month's presidential primary.
In a letter posted to the county Supervisor of Elections website on Monday, Ann McFall told Florida Governor Rick Scott that she's retiring effective May 3rd.
"Initially, I had planned to retire January 1, 2017," McFall wrote in the letter to Scott. "But due to personal health issues as well as a presidential election looming, I realized it would be in the best interest of 335,000 registered voters in Volusia County to let someone else take the helm."
McFall urged Scott to appoint Lisa Lewis - one of her deputy supervisors - as the interim until the voters can choose a permanent replacement in November.
"I hired Lisa in 2006 due to her knowledge of Volusia County demographics as well as her background in banking," McFall noted in the letter. "She soon became my troubleshooter and has successfully worked in most every job in the Department. Her loyalty and commitment to the Volusia County Department of Elections cannot be matched."
McFall has been the VC Supervisor of Elections since 2004, when she was elected to replace the retiring Deanie Lowe. She won re-election in 2008 and 2012.
Prior to that, McFall served 8 years on the Volusia County School Board and 6 years on the Volusia County Council.
While McFall is not on the ballot for 2016, Lewis is. The DeLand native will be battling against 3 others to replace McFall: former county council member Andy Kelly, David Lee Davis and Teresa Apgar, the wife of DeLand Mayor Bob Apgar.
Kelly lost to McFall in 2012 and narrowly lost to Pat Patterson in 2014 for the VCC District 1 seat he had held from 2007 to 2012.
Apgar also ran and lost to McFall in 2012, who won that election with 70% of the vote.
The job has a 4-year term and pays $125,000 per year.
Ann McFall
Copyright 2016 Southern Stone Communications.
