Donald Berry files papers to run against interim Collier Clerk Crystal Kinzel

 

Left: Don Berry, Right: Crystal Kinzel.

A second candidate made it a race Thursday for the open Collier County clerk of courts job.

Donald L. Berry, 77, filed initial papers with the Collier Supervisor of Elections office, seeking to replace longtime clerk Dwight Brock, who died last week.

Berry will be running against former chief deputy clerk Crystal Kinzel, 62, who filed her paperwork earlier this week. Gov. Rick Scott has appointed her interim clerk.

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Crystal Kinzel is the interim clerk of the circuit court and comptroller for Collier County.

Both are running as Republicans, which means they will face each other in the Aug. 28 primary. The general election is Nov. 6.

If elected, Berry said he wants to continue the office's "oversight in a non-contentious manner" and stressed the importance of listening to citizens and employees. 

Brock became known for his fierce challenges to how the county spent taxpayer money, at times taking on developers, businessmen and politicians.

"I would like to be known as Mr. Respectful and Mr. Courteous," Berry said. 

Kinzel said she had no comment about Berry's candidacy: "We'll see what happens," she said.

Berry said his experience as a certified public accountant would help him in his role as clerk. He was a managing partner for a local accounting firm for 16 years and has worked as director of accounting for the Collier property appraiser for 5 ½ years. 

Berry and his wife, Barbara, first came to Collier in 1963. Barbara Berry served as a Collier County commissioner from 1996 to 2000 and on the Collier school board in the late '80s and early '90s. She was again elected to the school board in 2010.

Donald L. Berry, 77, filed initial papers with the Collier Supervisor of Elections office, seeking to replace longtime clerk Dwight Brock, who died last week.

The deadline to qualify to get on the ballot is noon Friday. So far, Kinzel and Berry are the only candidates who have filed paperwork to run. 

Brock, 64, died June 12 at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, where he was awaiting a lung transplant. He had been the county's clerk since 1992.

After winning his seventh term in 2016, he was eligible to keep the clerk's job until at least 2020.

The new clerk will serve the rest of his term.

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