The Florida Elections Commission has ordered North Lauderdale City Commissioner Samson Borgelin to pay a civil penalty of $450 for campaigning as a Democrat in a nonpartisan race, according to a letter sent this month by the agency.
Former Commissioner David Hilton filed the complaint, stating that Borgelin referred to himself as a Democrat in campaign literature in the close November 2016 election. Hilton also accused Borgelin of stating during the campaign that Hilton was a Republican.
Borgelin said Wednesday he chose not to fight the allegations even though they were not accurate because “I’m so busy,” he said. “He lost [the race]. He can say whatever he wants.”
Hilton said the violation cost him the seat.
“He was obviously breaking the rules and was misleading the voters,” said Hilton. “We’re the same party, and he was telling everybody I was a Republican. Obviously we live in a very Democratic county so that did change the election results in his favor.”
Borgelin defeated Hilton, a commissioner since 2006, and one other candidate to represent the west central District D seat, roughly defined by the city’s border with Tamarac to the west, McNab Road to the south and Kimberly Boulevard to the north.
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