No election for Alfie: Oakes improperly files campaign paperwork; can't run for office

Powerbroker, kingmaker, grocery magnate.

Alfie Oakes may still be all of these, but he won't be on Collier County's Republican primary ballot in August.

In a brief letter to Oakes Friday, Collier Supervisor of Elections Melissa Blazier wrote, "Pursuant to Florida Statute 99.061 the candidate qualifying documents that were received in the Supervisor of Elections office were not properly filed. Therefore, you did not qualify for the Republican State Committeeman position."

Oakes was seeking a second four-year term as the Collier's GOP committeeman. The officeholder serves as the liaison between the county party group and the state's. Would-be candidates were supposed to file their completed qualifying paperwork by noon Friday.

After consulting with legal counsel, Blazier said she sent Oakes the letter Friday. Oakes did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Though write-in candidacy is an option in some places, it isn't for Oakes, because in Florida, even write-ins must qualify, according to state statutes. So in Oakes' case, "There won’t be a slot for write-in candidate, because a write-in candidate must qualify as a candidate for the write-in spot to even appear," Blazier said.

Two Collier men did successfully qualify, Blazier confirmed: Frank Schwerin and Douglas Rankin, who had served in the position from 2008 until 2020, when Oakes unseated him.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Alfie Oakes fails to qualify for Collier County GOP office election