Dead Candidate Wins Election in Central Florida

Orange County's tax collector was re-elected even though he died last month

Published November 8, 2012 • Updated on November 8, 2012 at 7:51 pm

Orange County's tax collector died last month but that didn't stop voters from re-electing him in the Nov. 6 election.

Earl K. Wood, 96, was running for tax collector after nearly five decades in office and when he died in mid-October, it was too late to remove his name from the ballot, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

With all precincts reporting after Tuesday’s election, the Democratic incumbent led his competition with 56.63 percent of the votes, according to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections.

Wood's opponent, Republican Jim Huckeba, received 43.37 percent.

Wood’s death had set off a scramble among Democrats to decide who would run for the position, the Orlando Sentinel said. State Rep. Scott Randolph was chosen by his party to get Wood’s votes and take the post.