A rundown of local elections as the primary approaches
August 8th, 2008 by kerem.ozkan in News
With all the hype surrounding the presidential election, it is easy to forget that local politics can have a significant impact on our daily lives. Voters will find candidates for dozens of different positions on the ballot November 4, and voters registered with a party are eligible to vote in their party’s primary on August 26. What positions are up for grabs, and who is running for them?
Christine Jennings (D) will be challenging incumbent Vern Buchanan (R) for Congress District 13. Also on the ballot are independent Jan Schneider and non-affiliated Don Bauldauf. Bauldauf is a registered Republican. Buchanan defeated Jennings by about 370 votes in 2006, after over 18,000 votes mysteriously counted no vote for either candidate in Sarasota county - the only county Jennings won. Then CL editor Max Linsky endorsed Jennings back in 2006.
Independent Levko Klos and Barry Sullivan (D) will take on incumbent Supervisor of Elections Kathy Dent (R). Dent and Creative Loafing go way back.
Keith Fitzgerald (D) will defend his position as State House District 69 Representative from Laura Benson (R) and Horatio Lemus IV of the Green Party. We ran a piece on Keith and Laura back in the day, endorsing the former.
Darryl Rouson (D), the incumbent State House District 55 Representative, will be challenged by Charles S. McKenzie in the Democratic primary, and write-in Calvester Benjamin-Anderson in the election. Check out our previous coverage of Rouson.
Lisa Carlton (R) is vacating her State Senate District 23 seat. Nancy Detert and Michael Grant will face off in the Republican primary to compete with Morgan R. Bentley (D) and write-in Bob Waechter in the November election.
Kirk E. Faryniasz is challenging incumbent Ron Reagan (R) for the Republican nomination for State House District 67. The winner will face Richard J. Jackson, Democrat and Ronald Rathburn, write-in
Incumbent State House District 70 Representative Doug Holder (R) will attempt to hold his position from Sam Rosenfeld (D) in November.
Betty Gissendanner (D) will face the winner of the Republican primary for State House District 71. Christopher G. Constance, Ken L. Roberson and Richard Santos will all be seeking the Republican nomination.
Vying for Public Defender are Larry Eger (R), Ron Filipkowski (R) and Adam Tebrugge (D).
Running for the non-partisan position of 12th Judicial Circuit Judge are Connie Mederos-Jacobs and Gilbert A. Smith Jr.
Paul Mercier is vacating his seat on the County Commission, representing District 1. Jono Miller (D), Carolyn Mason (R), Richard Redding (R) and independent John E. Mullarkey will attempt to fill it.
Incumbent County Commissioner for District 3, Shannon Staub (R) will face Barbara Gross (R) in the primary.
Bill Furst (R) and write-in Gary Wayne Johnson will challenge incumbent Jim Todora (R) for the position of property appraiser.
Incumbent Caroline G. Zucker and Millicent Puleo will compete to represent District 2 on the School Board. Both are non-partisan.
Curtis Lavarello (D), will compete with the winner of the Republican primary in a heated race for sheriff. The Republican candidates are Lawrence R. Dunklee, David Gustafson and Thomas Knight.
Barbara Ford-Coates (D) would like to continue to collect your taxes. Donna L. Clarke (R) begs to differ.
The following candidates will not face opposition. Ain’t that some shit?
State Sen. Michael Bennett, District 21; County Commissioner Jon Thaxton; School Board member Frank Kovach; Clerk of the Circuit Court Karen E. Rushing; County Judge David L. Denkin; Hospital Board members Marguerite G. Malone; Circuit Judges Charles Roberts, Rick DeFuria, Andrew D. Owens Jr., Robert W. McDonald Jr., Peter A. Dubensky, Marc B. Gilner, Demo G. Economou, Edward Nicholas; State Attorney Earl Moreland; Hospital Board member Marguerite G. Malone; Soil and Water Conservation District members Chuck Johnston, Tiffany A. Bispham.
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