Wes Hodge
Wes Hodge (Democratic Party) ran for election for Orange County Supervisor of Elections in Florida. He lost in the Democratic primary on November 5, 2024.
Hodge completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Wes Hodge was born at Beale Air Force Base in Yuba County, California. Nossokoff's career experience includes working as a chief of staff. He earned a degree from Orlando Technical College in 2004.[1]
Hodge has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- League of Women Voters, Orange County, Florida
- NAACP, Orange County, Florida Chapter
- Black Voters Matter
- Alianza for Progress
- Florida Asian American Justice Association
- Progressives for Democracy in America, Florida Chapter
Elections
2024
See also: Municipal elections in Orange County, Florida (2024)
General election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Cynthia Harris (No Party Affiliation)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Orange County Supervisor of Elections
Karen Castor Dentel won election outright against Sunshine Grund, Dan Helm, and Wes Hodge in the Democratic primary for Orange County Supervisor of Elections on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Karen Castor Dentel  | 40.2 | 190,202 |
 | Sunshine Grund | 21.6 | 102,125 | |
 | Dan Helm | 19.6 | 92,445 | |
 | Wes Hodge | 18.6 | 87,900 | |
| Total votes: 472,672 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Republican primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Joseph Davis (R)
Although Florida holds closed primaries, if all candidates in a race are from the same party, Florida law opens the primary to all voters—regardless of their party registration—in what is called a universal primary. Originally, the supervisor of elections race had four Democratic candidates in the primary and one No Party Affiliation (NPA) candidate in the general election, meaning it was not a universal primary. A circuit court order removed Cynthia Harris, the NPA candidate, from the general election ballot after early voting in the primary had begun. This decision meant that the Democratic primary became a universal primary. Because voting in the county had already begun, votes cast in the August Democratic primary were not counted and the primary was moved to the November general election date.[2]
Endorsements
Hodge received the following endorsements.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Wes Hodge completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hodge's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Hodge has achieved success in various political campaigns throughout his career. His strategic vision and grassroots organizing skills have played a pivotal role in securing crucial victories for candidates in Orange County. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, he knows firsthand the experiences that come with being a member of a marginalized community. Through his tireless efforts, Hodge has helped elect leaders who champion issues such as body autonomy, economic equality, social justice, healthcare reform, and environmental sustainability.
In addition to his campaign work, Hodge served for six years as the chair of the Orange County Democratic Party, demonstrating his ability to mobilize and unite diverse groups of people behind a common cause. Under his leadership, the party has experienced unprecedented growth, and he has overseen a deep-blue transformation in his county. Hodge has worked diligently to build a robust and inclusive party infrastructure, fostering collaboration and ensuring that all voices are heard.- Long lines at early voting centers are a form of voter suppression. Most voters do not have the luxury of standing in line and waiting up to two hours to vote. I will implement appointment-based voting which allows voters to select the time and location of their choice for early voting. This will help parents with children, seniors standing in Florida's heat, and workers who do not have the luxury of waiting in line outside for up to two hours. Of course, the traditional standby early voting will always remain available to all voters.
- Voting is a fundamental right which should be accessible to all citizens. A Disability Advisory Board will be empowered to audit all precinct and early voting locations to ensure they meet current ADA guidelines and are located on accessible bus routes. Voting locations will also feature accommodations for voters with sensory needs. Additionally, current voting machines have the technology to offer ballots in multiple languages. At a minimum, ballots should be made available in the top 5 languages spoken in Orange County. Currently that list includes: English, Spanish, Haitian-Creole, Portuguese, and Vietnamese.
- There has been a noticeable absence of the Elections Office at community cultural events, festivals, concerts, and art shows. This lack of voter engagement results in lower participation. The biggest role a Supervisor of Elections should play is engaging the community outside of election season. Engagement results in a more informed and active electorate. When more voters are engaged and involved in the process, the entire community benefits.
To increase transparency, I want to partner with our county's Orange TV to coordinate the live broadcasting of future Canvassing Board meetings. I also want to record and broadcast various segments regarding the voting process and explanations about the roles of various elected positions in our community. I want to implement a community training academy where citizens can enroll in a program that teaches them about the voting process and they can follow how a ballot is handled from the time they cast their vote until it is posted as official election results. I also want to increase public engagement from the Supervisor of Elections office.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Orange County Supervisor of Elections |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 30, 2024
- ↑ Click Orlando, "Judge throws no-party-affiliate candidate off ballot in Orange County elections supervisor race," August 16, 2024
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