By Matt Mauney | Associate Editor
The Plant City Observer has profiled candidates for the several local and state elections. Here, we spotlight Rich Glorioso and Craig Latimer, candidates for Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This contains an updated version of these profiles and is different than the one printed in the Oct. 4, 2012, edition of the Plant City Observer. The printed version contained inaccuracies regarding candidate Craig Latimer’s current position.
Rich Glorioso
After serving northeastern Hillsborough County for four terms in the Florida House of Representatives, Richard “Rich” Glorioso is now looking to bring his political career back closer to Plant City.
Originally from Danbury, Conn., Glorioso moved to Plant City in 1994, partly because it reminded him of home.
“We loved the small-town feel, and everyone was just so friendly,” he said.
Danbury and Plant City are just two of the many places Glorioso has lived with his wife of 46 years, Judy. Glorioso is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, and it doesn’t take long to see how his time in the military has shaped the person he is today.
“After spending 27 years of my life defending our Constitution, I’ve seen that the whole frame of our government starts at the ballot box,” he said.
That is why Glorioso is running for Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections.
“I want to protect the ballot and ensure every person who is eligible to vote is registered and everyone who wants to register has an easy and convenient way to do it, because I think that right is so precious,” he said.
After 27 years in the Air Force and moving to Plant City, which his father-in-law called home, Glorioso gained an interest in politics.
“When I moved to Plant City, I was doing a lot of volunteer work, and I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do,” he said. “I did a lot of praying, and I had a lot of training, because the Air Force trains you pretty well with decision-making and problem-solving.”
About three years after moving to Plant City, Glorioso ran for a seat on the city commission. Glorioso won in a runoff against the incumbent and served as Plant City’s commissioner from 1998 to 2004.
“Back then, I didn’t know anything about running a campaign, and I didn’t really know what the city commissioners do other than running a city, but I knew that I had a lot of training, and I felt like I could take those experiences and apply it to our city,” he said.
After six years on the commission, Glorioso was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2004 and re-elected for three more terms. There, he focused on working for his constituents and protecting vulnerable citizens, including passing a legislation that restricted where sexual predators could work.
He also has passed legislation requiring schools to teach students the contents of the U.S. Constitution by putting civics back in the classroom.
Glorioso believes integrity is the most important part of the Supervisor of Elections office.
“I still sign contracts with a handshake,” he said. “We have to establish quality control. That’s something I was responsible for in the Air Force, and people’s lives depended on it.”
If elected, Glorioso plans to increase the office’s transparency and the amount of voter outreach throughout the county, noting that Hillsborough County has varying and diverse communities.
And through it all, Glorioso said Judy will remain a key component.
“She is my best campaign manager, my best friend and my toughest critic,” he said, laughing.
Craig Latimer
Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Chief of Staff Craig Latimer knows what it means to serve his community.
When he was 17, he began working for the Tampa Police Department as a crime scene investigator. He stayed in law enforcement for 35 years, before retiring from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in 2008 as a major.
Latimer was appointed in 2009 by former county Supervisor of Elections Phyllis Busansky to become chief of staff at the office. Later, Busansky died in office. Then, Earl Lennard was appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to complete Busansky’s unexpired term; Lennard retained Latimer as chief of staff.
“My entire career — first in law enforcement and now in elections — has been and is now guided by commitment to the rule of law, persistence in pursuit of a goal and being a leader who builds and supports teams,” he said.
Latimer found similarities between elections and law enforcement. Namely, that “ideology has no place in either,” stating that he is “persuaded by evidence and guided by facts.”
“While ideology does have a place in our society, we should not let partisanship taint the elections process,” he said. “I am proud to have served with both republican and democrat supervisors of elections and sheriffs, and I will continue to always be impartial and non-partisan as an elections official.”
Latimer noted that when he was appointed chief of staff in 2009, the biggest challenge was to rebuild an office that had been hindered by “years of mismanagement and incompetence.”
Latimer said that has changed.
“I am the only candidate who has actually conducted elections, and I have done so with integrity and efficiency,” he said.
When he isn’t campaigning or working, Latimer is an avid fisherman.
“I try to spend as much time as I can on the water,” he said.
Latimer’s father, Sam Latimer, was the first anchor for News Channel 8.
“As I travel about the county, people share with me their memories of my dad, which makes me very proud,” he said.
Born and raised in South Tampa, Latimer now lives in Lutz, with his wife, Sharon. They have one son and one grandson.
“Hillsborough is a microcosm of our society,” he said. “You can enjoy an exciting day on the water, see a show at the performing arts center, have dinner at some of the best restaurants in the region, watch one of our professional sports teams and cheer on some great college athletes. Our community has so much to offer.”
With a long career in law enforcement, Latimer said he is excited and proud to be involved in the elections process.
“It is the gateway to democracy,” he said. “Our entire system of government depends on the elections process itself, making sure that every eligible voter can register to vote and cast their ballot free of barriers and with knowledge that their vote will be counted accurately and with confidence in the transparency and integrity of the system.”
Latimer implemented the Adopt-a-Precinct program to partner with different segments of the community and strengthen the pool of poll workers. He also has reached out to many groups in the county, including McDonalds and the Ferman Automotive Group, to host registration events.