Longtime elected clerk announces retirement

FORT MYERS — With nearly three years left in her term, Lee County Clerk & Comptroller Linda Doggett is retiring from her position, effective Feb. 18, 2022. While no replacement has been named, Doggett, in a statement, says she’s recommending Gov. Ron DeSantis appoint the COO of the office, Kevin Karnes, to the post.

Doggett, who began working in the clerk’s office in 1984 and rose up the chain in various leadership positions, was first elected to oversee the Lee County Clerk of the Court & Comptroller’s office in 2012. Positions she held in the office prior to being elected include COO, Information Technology Director, and Courts Department Director. A Republican, she was reelected in 2016 and 2020; she was unopposed in the most recent election. Her latest term is scheduled to run until 2024.