By Staff ReportCara Griffin Steele announced she is a candidate for the Supervisor of Elections office as of Jan. 4.
“Being born and raised right here in Washington County, I am a wife to Tyke Steele who serves as a coach and teacher in Washington County and has for many years,” she said. “I am also a proud mother to two beautiful children. I currently serve as a home health nurse in the community. Through six years of serving in different capacities as a nurse, I have learned first hand what it takes to truly be a servant of others.”
Steele is the daughter of Travis Griffin and Carol Finch Rudd, who served in the Supervisor of Elections role for 30 years.
Steele is a graduate of Florida Panhandle Technical College where she served on the class board and was nominated to give the invitational speech at their annual pinning ceremony.
“In this speech I concluded by saying, ‘May we lose ourselves to the service of others.’ This phrase still rings true today,” she said. “Elected officials must sacrifice a part of themselves for the better good of the community and I believe I have more than mastered this skill.”
Steele said she has watched the county “grow, flourish and thrive even through tough times.”
“It has been my passion for many years to play an active part in watching Washington County continue to thrive,” she said. “I have gained exposure to the Elections Office for well over 20 years, watching how important it is to remain transparent and reliable for the citizens of Washington County.”
Building a county that has strong communities for years to come starts with electing those to office who dedicate themselves to bettering those around them, Steele said.
“With any elected office comes great responsibility,” she said. “I pledge myself to continuously stay educated and well-equipped with the knowledge that is required of me to serve the citizens of Washington County as they deserve to be.”
Steele said it is her belief when you have God where he belongs, at the head of any situation, everything will happen for the better good.
“We have recently underwent trying times in the political forefront of our nation in regards to keeping our faith out,” she said. “If elected to office I tell you with absolute certainty, ‘In God we Trust’ will remain where it belongs.”
In the coming months, Steele said her door is “always open” and her phone is on if voters have any questions as to why she believes she is the right choice for Washington County Supervisor of Elections.
“With this being said, I would appreciate your vote this year,” she said.
Jim Saunders