Jackson County Primary Election Results Are In

Hundreds of Graceville and Campbellton citizens voted on Tuesday, August 20 in the county primary election. Including early voting ballots, over 826 citizens voted at the Graceville precinct and approximately 520 citizens voted at the Campbellton precinct. A total of 10,977 (41.54%) Jackson County voters came out to vote for their favorite candidate in a Universal election or in their closed primary. Several candidates will continue on to the General Election on Tuesday, November 5, but several seats were determined during the Primary, including Jackson County Property Appraiser and State’s Attorney for the 14th Judicial Circuit.

One race many Jackson County parents are watching is the Jackson County Superintendent of Schools race. Hunter Nolen received the Republican vote and will continue on to the November election against Democratic candidate Eddie Ellis. Nolen earned the Republican spot against incumbent Steven Benton and Laurence Pender to continue as the party nominee into the November election. Nolen seized the nomination taking the primary election by 44.02% (3,295 votes) of the Republican vote, while Pender had 2,909 votes and Benton had 1,281 votes. Pender took the vote in both the Graceville and Campbellton precincts. Approximately 49.84% (317 votes) of Graceville citizens voting at the Graceville Civic Center chose Pender while exactly 60.36% (67 votes) of Campbellton’s citizens chose Pender.

The Jackson County School Board seats for District 2 and District 3 were also up for election this year. District 2 seat holder Tony Pumphrey was unopposed and will retain his seat for an additional four years. District 3 seat, was also retained due to no opposition with new board member Rex Torbett taking the seat.

Three Jackson County Commissioner seats are up for election this year and one of those seats (District 5) was determined during the Primary Election. Residents in the Campbellton/ Graceville District 1 learned which Republican and Democratic candidate will continue through the November election. On the Republican ballot for County Commissioner District 1 was Bryon Dickens and Kristi Folds. On the Democratic ballot was current Commissioner for District 1 Alex McKinnie

and Dr. Willie Spires. Continuing to the November election for the Republican party is Byron Dickens who won the primary election was 60.83% or 424 votes while candidate Kristi Folds received 273 votes. The Democratic candidate continuing to the November election is Dr. Willie Spires who won the election with 59.39% of the vote or 641 votes to current commissioner Alex McKinnie who received 432 votes. Dickens was the citizens pick for the majority of Republican voters in Graceville and Campbellton, earning exactly 71.15% (74 votes) of the vote at the Campbellton Community Center and approximately 60% (12 votes) at the Graceville Civic Center. McKinnie was the citizens pick for the majority of Democratic voters in Graceville and Campbellton, earning exactly 51.28% (160 votes) of the vote at the Campbellton Community Center and approximately 66.67% (2 votes) at the Graceville Civic Center. Both candidates will continue to the November election with District 1 voters electing their county commissioner for the next four years.

The District 3 County Commissioner seat, currently held by Republican Paul Donofro, was also up for election, with Republican Mary Ann Hutton running for the seat as well. Donofro appears to have won the Republican vote with 50.21% (834 votes) compared to Mary Ann Hutton who received 49.79% (827 votes) of the vote. Donofro will continue to the November election to face Democratic candidate Roger Pittman. County Commission for District 5 is the final county commissioner seat up for election. Winning the seat was Jamey Westbrook over fellow Republican candidates Jim Peacock, Mickey Gilmore, and Ana Gonzalez with 39.87% of the vote or 1,079 votes compared to Peacock who received 852 votes, Gilmore who received 543 votes, and Gonzalez who received 232 votes. Since all candidates in District 5 were in the same party the winner of the Primary automatically received the seat for the next four years.

The seat for the Jackson County Property Appraiser was another race being determined due to both candidates running in the same party. The race had two Republicans running for the seat, current Property Appraiser Rebecca Morris-Haid and David Fraser. Rebecca Morris-Haid won the election with 85.91% of the vote or 9,319 votes to Fraser’s 14.09% or 1,529 votes. Morris-Haid received the most vote in the Graceville and Campbellton precincts earning 85.84% or 709 votes in the Graceville precinct and 88.08% or 458 votes in the Campbellton precinct.

One of the most watched races in the Primary was the race for the Republican nominee for Jackson County Sheriff. Current Sheriff Donnie Edenfield was running for re-election as a Republican against fellow Republican candidates Chris Brannon and Jeffrey O’Pry. Edenfield took the ticket win

by 43.37% (3,271 votes) of the vote against Brannon who had 36.16% (2,727 votes) of the vote and O’Pry who earned 20.47% (1,544 votes) of the vote. Edenfield received the most votes in the Graceville precinct earning 50.78% (325 votes) of the vote in the Graceville precinct. Brannon took the Campbellton precinct 50% (56 votes) in the Campbellton precinct. Edenfield and No-Party Affiliated candidate Lee Keith will continue on to the November General Election with the winner becoming the next Jackson County Sheriff.

The State Attorney for the 14 Judicial Circuit was also elected on Tuesday, August 20. Current State Attorney Larry Basford and competitor Eric Garmon both ran as Republicans causing a Universal Election in the Primary. Basford took the election in Jackson County earning just over 78% of the vote or 8,374 votes to Garmon’s 2,316 votes.

For more Jackson County Election Results visit www.votejacksonfl.gov

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