Charles Burkett
Challenger (born and raised in Miami Beach; University of Miami finance degree; founder of a national real estate investment firm and landlord of several residential/commercial buildings in South Florida; four-term Mayor of Surfside, FL — 2006–2008, 2008–2010, 2020–2022, 2024–2026; was Surfside's mayor during the June 24, 2021 Champlain Towers South condominium collapse, which killed 98 people; voted out of office later in 2021 amid criticism of "grandstanding" during his high-profile media presence following the collapse; re-elected mayor in 2024, most recently serving until entering the governor's race)
Last updated: 2026-08-21
Integrity & Legal Record 23 / 25
Criminal History
`[NOT FOUND — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Charles Burkett" Surfside arrested OR convicted OR indicted — 2026-08-06]`. No adverse nationwide news coverage found.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-06 — no adverse matches
Civil Court History
Two distinct matters, both tied to his role as a landlord of several South Florida properties: (1) Burkett was reported to have delayed repairs for years at his Lois Apartments building (2001 Bay Drive, Normandy Isle) following Hurricane Irma damage in 2017; in a subsequent controversy, he ordered tenants to vacate the building with only 45 days' notice to conduct the long-delayed structural repairs, drawing criticism from residents who said the disrepair had persisted for years. (2) Separately, Burkett — as plaintiff — sued a tenant (reported as a Ukrainian businesswoman) over a commercial office lease dispute at one of his properties. No lawsuits were found in which Burkett was sued and found liable for wrongdoing; the available reporting describes tenant dissatisfaction/criticism and a landlord-initiated lease dispute rather than an adjudicated finding against him.
- CBS Miami — "Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett Kicking Out Tenants Of His Apartment Building So Repairs Can Be Made" — 2026-08-06
- Miami New Times — "Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett Sues Ukrainian Woman..." — 2026-08-06
Ethics Violations
No formal ethics complaints were found against Burkett himself. Noted for context: during his mayoral tenure, Surfside's government experienced significant internal turmoil, including four different police chiefs departing within a 14-month period (2024–2025). One former chief, Antonio Marciante, faced (and denied) sexual harassment claims unrelated to Burkett directly. The town separately sued two former chiefs (Healy and Marciante) to recover $45,500 in severance payments Burkett characterized as improperly authorized "sweetheart deals" — in this matter, Burkett is documented as a critic of the payments, not as someone accused of authorizing them. The most recent chief, Edward Holbrook, resigned after three weeks, with sources citing an "unhealthy work environment" and personal tensions with Burkett, who has been described as personally confrontational with police officers and in public disputes with the police union. Separately, Burkett accused his mayoral successor, Shlomo Danzinger, of violating the town charter and potentially state law in a December 2022 personnel matter — in this instance Burkett was the accuser, not the subject of the allegation.
- Axios Miami — "Surfside sues ex-police chiefs for severance pay" — 2026-08-06
- Hoodline / Local10 — reporting on 2025 Surfside police chief resignations — 2026-08-06
- CBS Miami — reporting on Burkett's allegations against Mayor Danzinger (1/10/2023) — 2026-08-06 — confirms Burkett was the accuser, not the accused
- Miami New Times — "Before Condo Collapse, Surfside's Government Was Prone to Petty Squabbles and Political Drama" — 2026-08-06
Campaign Finance Violations
`[NOT FOUND — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Charles Burkett" campaign finance FEC violation Florida Governor 2026 — 2026-08-06]`. No FEC or Florida Elections Commission violation records found.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-06 — no adverse matches
Residency Confirmed
Documented resident of Surfside, FL (Miami-Dade County), consistent with his four terms as Surfside mayor.
- Extensive news coverage of his mayoral tenure — 2026-08-06
- ⚠️ REVIEW FLAG: This candidate's file documents governance-style controversy (police department turnover, landlord-tenant friction) that is factual and sourced but does not rise to adjudicated legal or ethics violations; recommend operator review for fair, proportionate characterization given his long public record as a four-term mayor.
- Investigated and clarified: an allegation that a "Surfside mayor violated the town charter" was made BY Burkett against his successor, Mayor Shlomo Danzinger — not against Burkett himself.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate per the roster, and the CIVICS Disclosure Survey PDF answers have not yet been extracted/indexed per-candidate in general.
Professional & Business Transparency 17 / 25
Business Ownership
Burkett founded "The Burkett Companies" (also styled Burkett Companies/Burkett Land Co.) in 1983, a national real estate management and investment firm, after graduating from the University of Miami with a finance degree; he holds an active Florida real estate broker/sales license (DBPR). Indexed Sunbiz records identify multiple Florida entities tied to Charles W. Burkett IV (the candidate's full name), based at 1332 Biscaya Drive, Surfside, FL 33154: The Burkett Land Company, Inc. (Burkett listed as President); The Mark Leo, LLC (Burkett as registered agent); The Lois Ann, LLC (Burkett as registered agent) — this entity's name closely matches the "Lois Apartments" building at 2001 Bay Drive, Normandy Isle, discussed in this candidate's Category 1 Civil Court History (the 2017 Hurricane Irma repair-delay/tenant-eviction controversy), suggesting The Lois Ann, LLC is the likely owning entity for that property; Global Travel Is EZ, LLC (Burkett as authorized person/manager); Satellite Beach - CB, LLC (Burkett as authorized person/manager); and Burkett Family Management Company, LLC (an authorized person for Burkett Properties, Inc.). A separate national company, "Burkett Restaurant Equipment"/"Burkett.com" (a GSA federal contractor), was investigated and ruled out as unrelated — it is a different, unaffiliated company that happens to share the Burkett name.
- The Burkett Companies — http://www.burkettcompanies.com/ — 2026-08-17
- Florida DBPR — real estate broker/sales license record, "Burkett, Charles W IV" — https://www.myfloridalicense.com/LicenseDetail.asp?id=B960B70209098C3255D522DC05C0A6F0 — 2026-08-17
- Indexed Sunbiz.org officer/registered-agent records for "Burkett, Charles W. IV" (The Burkett Land Company, Inc.; The Mark Leo, LLC; The Lois Ann, LLC; Global Travel Is EZ, LLC; Satellite Beach - CB, LLC; Burkett Family Management Company, LLC) — 2026-08-17 — accessed via indexed search results; direct Sunbiz query blocked (see Flags)
- Send2Press/Florida Newswire — gubernatorial campaign announcement bio — 2026-08-17
Financial Conflicts of Interest
Burkett is a landlord of multiple residential/commercial properties within Surfside — the same town he has served as mayor across four non-consecutive terms (2006–2008, 2008–2010, 2020–2022, 2024–2026) — meaning his rental properties (including The Lois Ann, LLC's building, per Category 1's documented repair-delay/tenant-vacate controversy) are subject to the same town building code, code enforcement, and post-Champlain-Towers-collapse safety ordinances that his own administration helped shape and enforce. No specific instance was found of Burkett personally voting on, or the Town Commission awarding, a direct town contract to a Burkett-owned company. A general search for a "Town of Surfside" vendor/contract relationship with The Burkett Companies found none; the GSA-contractor "Burkett" entity identified in searches is the separate, unrelated national restaurant-equipment company noted above, not Burkett's firm.
- CBS Miami — "Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett Kicking Out Tenants Of His Apartment Building So Repairs Can Be Made" (previously cited, Category 1) — 2026-08-17
- General web search: "Burkett" Surfside town commission contract vendor — 2026-08-17 — no direct town-contract match found for The Burkett Companies
Bankruptcy History
`[NOT FOUND — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Charles Burkett" bankruptcy; CourtListener/RECAP direct query (blocked, see Flags) — 2026-08-17]`. No personal or business bankruptcy filings were found for Burkett or The Burkett Companies. One search result surfaced informal political commentary (a social-media comment) accusing Burkett of "bankrupting the town" through infrastructure spending (Abbott Avenue drainage/undergrounding project) — this is political criticism of municipal fiscal policy, not an actual bankruptcy filing, and is not treated as a finding under this metric.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-17 — no adverse matches
- CourtListener/RECAP (courtlistener.com) — direct query returned HTTP 403 — 2026-08-17
Tax Liens
`[NOT FOUND — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Charles Burkett" tax lien; "Burkett Companies" tax lien — 2026-08-17]`. No federal or state tax lien records were found against Burkett personally or against The Burkett Companies/Burkett Land Company. Search results returning "Burkett, TX" tax lien listings are an unrelated Texas place-name match, not this candidate.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-17 — no adverse matches
Board Memberships
`[NOT FOUND — searched: "Charles Burkett" board member director corporate nonprofit; general biographical/campaign sources — 2026-08-17]`. No corporate or nonprofit board memberships beyond his own family businesses (The Burkett Companies and affiliated entities, where he holds officer/registered-agent/managerial roles as owner rather than as an independent outside director) and his elected position as Surfside mayor were identified.
- General web search — 2026-08-17 — no additional board affiliations found
- ⚠️ PRIORITY REVIEW FLAG: Burkett is simultaneously a multi-term Surfside mayor and a landlord of residential/commercial property within Surfside, including the property at the center of the Category 1 tenant-eviction/repair-delay controversy (The Lois Ann, LLC). This landlord/regulator overlap is the most significant Category 2 finding for this candidate and warrants close operator review, particularly given the town's post-Champlain-Towers-collapse building-safety regulatory environment.
- ⚠️ Tooling limitation (affects all candidates in this batch): Direct Sunbiz.org queries returned HTTP 403 throughout this session via both browser automation and WebFetch. All Sunbiz-derived findings above rely on indexed/cached secondary sources rather than a live, complete officer/registered-agent search. Operator should independently run a manual Sunbiz search for "Burkett, Charles" (and spouse "Burkett, Julia") before final approval.
- Investigated and ruled out: "Burkett Restaurant Equipment"/Burkett.com, a national GSA-contractor restaurant-supply company, is unrelated to Charles W. Burkett IV of Surfside.
- Spouse business/legal check: Burkett's wife is identified in campaign/bio sources as Julia Burkett; no independent Sunbiz business entities specifically tied to a "Julia Burkett" were identified via available search tools (searches returned an unrelated "Julianna K. Shopene" as manager of a different, unconnected entity at a Surfside address).
Policy & Platform Consistency 14 / 20
Voting Record
Burkett served four non-consecutive terms as Surfside Mayor (2006–2008, 2008–2010, 2020–2022, 2024–2026). His defining local-governance episode was his response to the June 24, 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse (98 deaths) during his 2020–2022 term: he publicly pushed for the town to conduct its own forensic investigation of the collapse site (disputed with Miami-Dade County, which restricted town access) and ordered a "deep dive" structural safety review of Champlain Towers North, a sister building by the same developer. He was voted out of office later in 2021 (finishing third: Shlomo Danzinger 499 votes, Vice Mayor Tina Paul 476, Burkett 466), amid public criticism that his high media visibility after the collapse constituted "grandstanding" — already documented in Category 1. `[Specific council votes/ordinances he sponsored on building-safety reform were NOT independently itemized — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Charles Burkett" Surfside ordinance building safety vote — 2026-08-21]`. His current gubernatorial platform (affordability, property-tax elimination, insurance/healthcare law overhaul, reduced tolls/gas taxes, government-spending cuts, local control over growth) is his first statewide policy platform; no equivalent prior statewide voting record exists since Surfside is a small municipal government.
- NBC 6 South Florida — "Surfside Mayor Voted Out Less Than Year After Condo Collapse" — 2026-08-21
- CBS News Miami — "Town Of Surfside Wants To Do Its Own Full Forensic Investigation Of Condo Collapse Site" — 2026-08-21
- burkettforgov.com — campaign platform — 2026-08-21
Position Consistency
Burkett's gubernatorial platform (affordability, property-tax relief, insurance reform, local control) represents a new, broader policy focus relative to his documented mayoral-era priorities (which centered on building safety/post-collapse response and, per Category 2, landlord/real-estate interests). `[No direct contradiction between his mayoral-era positions and his current platform was identified — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Charles Burkett" property tax insurance position Surfside — 2026-08-21]`; the shift in focus reflects a change in office sought (municipal to statewide) rather than a documented reversal.
- burkettforgov.com — campaign platform — 2026-08-21
Flip-Flops
`[NOT FOUND — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Charles Burkett" flip-flop reversed position — 2026-08-21]`. No documented instance of Burkett reversing a stated position was identified.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-21 — no matches
Endorsements
`[NOT FOUND — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Charles Burkett" governor endorsement 2026 — 2026-08-21]`. No endorsements received for his gubernatorial campaign were identified, consistent with his NPA (No Party Affiliation) status and a campaign focused on local/municipal credentials rather than party-network backing. `[Endorsements given — NOT FOUND — 2026-08-21]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-21 — no matches
- Cross-reference: this category's Voting Record section discusses his Champlain Towers-era governance approach factually; the associated electoral defeat and landlord/regulator conflict are scored under Category 1 and Category 2 respectively, not duplicated here.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate.
Community Engagement & Character 14 / 25
Community Involvement
Burkett has more than four decades of documented public service, including civic leadership in Miami Beach and four terms as Surfside Mayor (2006–2008, 2008–2010, 2020–2022, 2024–2026). During the June 24, 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse (98 fatalities), he visited the site daily during the search-and-recovery effort and was the town's public-facing representative at internationally televised news conferences, including the only Surfside official to meet directly with President Biden during his post-collapse visit. He was voted out of office in a close March 2022 three-way race (Danzinger 499, Paul 476, Burkett 466 votes), following criticism from some town commissioners and residents that his high media visibility amounted to "grandstanding"; Burkett's own stated position was that representing the town before the media was part of his job as mayor. He was re-elected mayor in 2024, serving until entering this governor's race.
- HuffPost — "Florida Mayor Voted Out Less Than Year After Condo Collapse" — 2026-08-24
- PBS NewsHour — "Surfside votes out mayor after Florida condo collapse" — 2026-08-24
- NBC6 South Florida — "Surfside Mayor Voted Out Less Than Year After Condo Collapse" — 2026-08-24
Veteran / First Responder Service
`[NOT FOUND — no military or first-responder service background documented — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Charles Burkett" Surfside military veteran — 2026-08-24]`. No claim of personal service was found in his campaign materials.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-24 — no matches
Faith-Based Involvement (scored on character consistency)
`[NOT FOUND — no faith-community affiliation documented — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Charles Burkett" church faith — 2026-08-24]`. Not scored negatively per protocol. On character consistency generally: his stated public rationale for his high-profile Champlain Towers media role (representing the town) is a documented, consistent position he has maintained since 2021–2022; reasonable observers reached different conclusions about whether that conduct was appropriate, which is presented factually above rather than resolved here.
- (cross-referenced from Community Involvement sources above) — 2026-08-24
Debates / Town Halls
`[No documented debate/town hall invitations or appearances for this 2026 gubernatorial cycle were found this pass — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Charles Burkett" governor debate town hall 2026 — 2026-08-24]`. As a four-term mayor, he has an extensive record of contentious public town commission meetings (documented, e.g., a commissioner's public gesture toward him during a meeting), which reflects local governance engagement rather than campaign debate participation specifically.
- HuffPost — as above — 2026-08-24
Social Media Presence & Consistency
`[A dedicated, active campaign social media presence was NOT independently confirmed this pass beyond general campaign-announcement coverage — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Charles Burkett" governor Twitter Facebook 2026 — 2026-08-24]`. No inflammatory content was found in available search.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-24 — limited results
- ⚠️ REVIEW FLAG: His 2022 electoral defeat followed documented criticism of his Champlain Towers South media conduct; presented factually with his own stated rationale, alongside his subsequent 2024 re-election. Recommend operator review given the sensitivity of the underlying tragedy (98 fatalities).
- ⚠️ REVIEW FLAG: Social media footprint and general-election debate/town hall record not independently confirmed this pass; recommend follow-up closer to November.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate.
Campaign Transparency 21 / 25
Top Donors / Donor Composition
``` DONOR COMPOSITION: Funding source: Entirely self-funded Personal loan to campaign: $250,000 Spent through mid-August 2026: $22,421 Outside contributions: None documented Maximum donation accepted (per campaign site): $25 ``` Burkett's campaign is documented as entirely self-funded via a $250,000 personal loan, with state records showing no outside contributions and his own campaign website capping accepted donations at $25 — an unusually small maximum even relative to other candidates in this project, and a structure that by design precludes any large-donor or institutional dominance.
- Just Saying (campaign finance tracker) — "Florida Governor 2026: Follow the Money" — 2026-08-26
- burkettforgov.com — 2026-08-26
PAC / LLC / Funneling Structures
`[NOT FOUND — no PAC involvement identified — self-funded campaign with no outside contributions per state records — searched: Florida Division of Elections, nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26]`.
- Just Saying (campaign finance tracker) — as above — 2026-08-26
Advertising Spend
Total campaign spending of $22,421 through mid-August 2026 (against a $250,000 personal loan) is minimal in absolute terms and proportionate to a self-funded, longshot NPA candidacy; fully disclosed via state campaign-finance records.
- Just Saying (campaign finance tracker) — as above — 2026-08-26
Grassroots Engagement
`[No documented door-knocking, phone-banking, or in-person voter-contact events located this session — searched: nationwide Google/news search "Charles Burkett" governor campaign volunteer canvassing 2026 — 2026-08-26]`. His documented campaign activity centers on media appearances and a reported effort to recruit Gov. DeSantis for the Lieutenant Governor slot on his ticket (per Category 3), rather than a documented field-organizing operation.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
Donations to Political Figures
`[NOT FOUND — no record of Burkett donating to other political campaigns or PACs was identified — searched: Florida Division of Elections, nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
- Notable: this candidate's entirely self-funded, $25-max-donation campaign structure is among the most transparent, non-institutional funding profiles documented in this project.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate.
Issue-Based Positions 23 / 40
2A Rights Score
Supports the Second Amendment and "protecting the right to bear arms" while endorsing measures to keep firearms from people intent on violence; frames his approach as constitutional ("solutions that do not violate the Constitution") alongside a "zero tolerance" stance on violent crime.
- burkettforgov.com — 2026-08-26
Pro-Life / Pro-Family Score
States that "bodily autonomy" is a non-negotiable right and that a woman may end a pregnancy "from day one up to one minute before birth"; campaign platform commits to "Affirm and codify 'My Body, My Choice.'"
- aroundosceola.com — "Voting Central Florida: Meet the candidates for Florida Governor" — 2026-08-26
Fiscal Conservatism Score
`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: AFP, Club for Growth, CATO, campaign website — 2026-08-26]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
Parental Rights Score
`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: Moms for Liberty, campaign website — 2026-08-26]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
Election Integrity Position
`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: campaign website, nationwide news search — 2026-08-26]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
Housing / Insurance Position
`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: campaign website, nationwide news search — 2026-08-26]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
Education / School Choice Position
`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: campaign website, nationwide news search — 2026-08-26]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
Environment / Everglades Position
`[NO STATED POSITION FOUND — scored 3 per protocol — sources searched: campaign website, nationwide news search — 2026-08-26]`.
- Nationwide Google/news search — 2026-08-26 — no matches
- Six of eight metrics scored neutral (3) per the No Stated Position protocol, consistent with a locally-focused (Surfside mayoral) record that has not produced a detailed statewide issues platform.
- Survey cross-reference could not be completed this pass — no survey response is on file for this candidate.