Name: Florida primary results: Monique Worrell wins State Attorney race; U.S. Rep Spano falls to GOP challenger
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Florida primary results: Monique Worrell wins State Attorney race; U.S. Rep Spano falls to GOP challenger

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AdvertisementBy Orlando SentinelAug 19, 2020 at 9:47 pmMonique Worrell and will replace Aramis Ayala.With all 347 precincts reporting, Worrell had 42.4% of the vote. Her nearest competitor in the four-person race, retired judge Belvin Perry Jr., had 31.7% of the vote. Other competitors: Deborah Lynne Barra had 19.6% and Ryan Williams 6.3%.AdvertisementWorrell’s campaign , who has helped tip local races before. A Soros-backed spent at least $1.5 million on last-minute ads to help Worrell become the next top prosecutor for Orange and Osceola counties.AdvertisementBeleaguered Republican in District 15.In District 15, which includes parts of Lake, Polk and Hillsborough counties, Spano trailed GOP challenger Scott Franklin 51.4% to 48.6% with all 194 precincts reporting.Spano, who had faced a campaign ethics investigation for alleged illegal loans, became a target of his Republican colleague, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R- Pensacola, who backed Franklin in his primary bid.In one of Tuesday’s most-watched primary contests, and will take on Republican Jason Brodeur in the general election.With some mail-in votes left to count in Seminole County, and 98% of precincts reporting in Volusia County, Sigman had 51% of the vote. Alexis Carter followed with 17%, then came Rick Ashby with 13.3%, Guerdy Remy with 12.5% and Alexander Duncan with 7%.Fred Hawkins, by Gov. Ron DeSantis, wins the Republican primary for state House District 42. With all precincts reporting, Hawkins had 47% of the vote. His closest competitor was Dianna Liebnitzky with 29.5%.DeSantis’ decision to remove Hawkins of St. Cloud from his county post came after Hawkins was charged July 20 with impersonating a police officer, a felony, after an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.Advertisement.Orange County Democrats Tuesday, overwhelmingly choosing to put a woman, state Rep. Amy Mercado, in the post for the first time in county history.Mercado, 46, advances to November’s general election as a virtual lock with a pair of write-in candidates as her only competition.In Orange County Commission District 1, . With 41 of 41 precincts reporting, Wilson defeated VanderLey 56.9% to 42.6% — a margin of nearly 6,000 votes.“People can’t buy elections,” said Wilson, who was dramatically outspent by VanderLey, who raised tens of thousands of dollars from development and tourism interests. “It means people pay attention, that they are engaged, that a grassroots, local movement still works.”AdvertisementVoters in Orange County on Tuesday .Mina won with more than 54% of the votes from registered Democrats, according to preliminary numbers out of all but mail-in ballots. In the Osceola Sheriff’s race, Lopez squeaked past his challengers with 36% of votes, with all precincts reporting.Mina came out on top against a crowded field of Democrats, both reformers and career cops, who had hoped to shift the direction of the sheriff’s office. He will face only write-in candidates in November.In two closely watched GOP political battles that centered on protecting Seminole County’s rural boundary, cIn the Democratic primary for the District 5 commission seat, Pernell Bush, a mental health therapist, defeated attorney and former state legislator Mike Clelland by winning 71% of votes cast.AdvertisementIn the Republican primary for Seminole Tax Collector, real estate broker J.R. Kroll won 56% of the votes cast to defeat teacher Brian Beute. Kroll will next face Democrat Lynn “Moira” Dictor in the general election on Nov. 3.Two incumbent Lake County Commissioners as voters rejected reelection bids from Tim Sullivan and Wendy Breeden.Josh Blake, the other incumbent county commissioner on the ballot, was ahead in his Republican primary and faces only a write-in and a no-party affiliation candidate in November.Voters in Osceola County’s Democratic primary in a close race.AdvertisementLopez will face Luis “Tony” Fernandez, a non-party affiliated candidate, in the general election.Lopez, a military veteran who now runs a security consulting company, if elected in November, would oversee a nearly $78-million budget in a county with one of the nation’s fastest-growing Hispanic populations..Abby Sanchez , defeating challenger Veronica King for the district 3 seat.Sanchez, a classroom teacher until her election in 2016, had 63% of the vote to King’s 37%, with more than 97% of the results reported.AdvertisementPolls closed at 7 p.m. tonight as Florida wrapped up its primary election, a precursor to the big battle for president coming on Nov. 3. Voters cast ballots for a new Orange-Osceola state attorney and decide three Orange County commission races, among other races.Republicans are choosing who will face off in November against the three Democratic members of Congress from Central Florida, and several races for the Legislature will be set as well.There were slight adjustments in the routine motions of voting at the Colonialtown Neighborhood Center, located in a quiet, brick-street neighborhood near the corner of Mills Avenue and Virginia Drive.Before you sign your name on the computer screen when you check in, a volunteer poll worker from the Boy Scouts immediately suggests using a Kleenex to hold the device's pen so that way, your hands never actually touch the device that's been out all day.And without any prompt, the same poll worker also says all the ink pens used to circle in the ballots are cleaned.AdvertisementInside the polling place, hand sanitizer is available too.— Gabrielle RussonOnelia Colón was voting in a pandemic. She was a senior whose age left her more vulnerable to the highly contagious infection, according to health experts. But she said she felt safe voting Tuesday afternoon at the Osceola County Welcome Center.“I was not nervous,” said Colón, a retired hospital administration officer worker who lives in Kissimmee. “I used my mask. I used hand sanitizer. I kept the distance.”She said she felt it was important to cast her ballot, leaning toward the incumbents running for re-election. Voting is essential: Everyone should do it, she said.Another man voting at the same poll also wasn’t concerned about catching the coronavirus.AdvertisementWhy?He already had it.The 54-year-old Kissimmee man who declined to be named said he has since recovered from the fever and muscle pain when he was sick two months ago.— Gabrielle RussonToday's primary got weird in . A naked man showed up at a polling site. Power went out at five others. Storms blew down a drop-off mail ballot tent &amp; set off fire alarms and sprinklers at the Civic Center. "It was quite the election to remember," said SOE Mark Earley.— Jeffrey Burlew (@JeffBurlew)Becki Talley has stood on the curb of U.S. Highway 192 since 7 a.m. holding up signs.She counted, on average, only about 10 cars or so an hour pulling into vote at the Osceola County Welcome Center, which was located a few minutes from the Medieval Times castle in Kissimmee.Advertisement“It’s not going to be a big turnout,” said Talley, a retired human resources manager from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office who flew in from Palm Springs, Calif. to support Mike Fisher’s bid for sheriff. “Because of COVID.”Just after 2 p.m., the weather seemed like it also might scare off more voters. Lightning flashed in the not-so-far-off distance and it started to lightly rain.In the approaching storm, several Unite Here supporters held signs for Kissimmee Mayor Jose Alvarez’s campaign for Osceola County Commission as passers-by honked.— Gabrielle RussonThe turnout was light at the VFW precinct 322 polling place on South Goldenrod Avenue in Orlando with sparse but present voters ready with their choices. Nonpartisan voter Elizabeth has only lived in the county for two years but still felt voting was important enough to brave the pandemic. “It is our right to decide who we want, and we must vote to let them know, even if we aren’t in the party,” she said.— Trevor FraserAdvertisementSeveral items at a polling place in Mount Dora made it clear this is primary day in the age of COVID-19: disposable cotton swabs for voters to sign their names on the electronic signature device, pens to use once and take home (with the name of the Supervisor of Elections Alan Hays on them), and fewer booths than normal.When you left the First Baptist Church after voting, the poll worker did not hand you the usual “I Voted” sticker. You picked one up from a chair beside her.And, of course, everyone from workers to voters wore masks.By 1:20 p.m., more than 12,000 people had voted in Lake County in person on primary day, with an addition 9,140 who took advantage of early voting. More than 29,000 mail-in ballots were submitted, for a turnout at this time of about 20 percent.— John CutterOrange County elections supervisor Bill Cowles said at about noon that voting had gone smoothly this morning in the county’s nearly 250 precincts, with no major issues reported.AdvertisementCowles has said early voting was similarly uneventful, with no lines, and the trend continued on Election Day.— Steven LemongelloMid-morning voters reported no lines or crowds at St. Richard’s Episcopal Church in Seminole County near Winter Park.“I took the day off of work to be able to research the candidates,” said registered Democrat Jeremy Reinhard, though he added that in a lot of races, deciding who to vote for was like “splitting hairs.”Reinhard said he fears President Trump interfering with the U.S. mail system in the November general election and plans to vote in-person then, too. He’s even considering volunteering at a polling place.Registered Republican Stephanie Dalvit, 50, said she didn’t see many people on her ballot who excited her.Advertisement“I feel like you’re always picking the lesser of the evils,” she said, adding she doesn’t agree with any one party’s stances on every issue.— Annie MartinDalvit, a nail technician and esthetician who trains others in her profession, said she wants to see more support for small businesses struggling during the pandemic.Kimberly Grovenger snapped a selfie with her voter sticker as she left the precinct. The 28-year-old had come without rest from her overnight shift as a security worker to the polls.“You can’t have any change” if you don’t vote, she said.Grovenger said she wasn’t drawn to any particular race during the primary but is eager to vote again in November to try to oust Trump.Advertisement“It’s been a long four years,” she said.— Annie MartinPrecinct 26 in Altamonte Springs was too quiet this morning for the liking of Seminole County resident Debbie Paschal.“There’s nobody here,” the 67-year-old said shaking her head and wearing a blue “Trump” t-shirt in front of the voting precinct at 742 Sanlando Road, where everyone wore masks.Paschal was not interested in any particular race, but said she believed in the importance in voting solely Republican during the primary election as a show of red strength before November’s presidential election.Poll workers confirmed attendance at the precinct this morning was lackluster.Advertisement”I always vote,” Paschal said. “This is important. We need to be out here now, so our president knows we’re behind him.”Other residents trickled in with local candidates in mind, including Doreen Leavitt, 62, and her husband Brad Leavitt, 64. After doing their research, the couple decided they were voting for Wayne Culver for a spot on the judicial bench in Seminole County Court.“Jessica Damoth is too liberal for us,” Doreen said. The couple voted for Yukong Zhao in the District 7 representative race.“He understands the socialism and knows that’s not what we need. We’re against socialism. So, we like him,” Brad said.On the topic of attendance, Doreen agreed it could be better and stressed the importance of voting even if it’s for the opposition.“We come out to all elections. It’s your duty. It’s our duty as American citizens,” she said. “Even if you don’t vote for who I’m voting for, you need to take an interest and come out.”Advertisement— Joe Mario PedersenVoters trickled into the Hilton hotel in Altamonte Springs early today, with people leaving the polls reporting no lines and plenty of distance between them and others.Jeff Zolkes, 50, a registered Democrat who said he voted “blue all the way,” said he wasn’t well versed about the individual candidates but knew what he was after.“When I saw women, I chose them. When I saw ethnic last names, I chose them. We’re represented always by rich, straight, white men and that’s not America,” said Zolkes, who is white and gay.Zolkes, who wore a mask, said he’s concerned about the virus but didn’t hesitate to vote in person and intends to do so again in November and cast his ballot to “dump Trump.”Another Altamonte Springs voter, Duane Gardner, 60, said he was eager to support Seminole County Commissioner Lee Constantine, who he said “seems honest.”Advertisement— Annie MartinA bottle of disinfectant wipes next to a pile of Orange County “Vote (I did!)” stickers set the new COVID-19 voting scene for residents this morning at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando.The 502nd precinct at 1901 E. Robinson St. was abuzz as the doors opened at 7 a.m. with residents walking in and out of the building, yet the building didn’t seem full, which early-morning voters appreciated. Everyone who was there was wearing a mask, a county mandate because of the coronavirus.“There was no one in there,” said Matthew Bauer, 59, after voting. “Of course, I felt safe in there. I always vote. I thought it would be fine here. I think it’s important to keep up the protection against COVID. And they’re wiping everything down.”Some differences were apparent, however, including hand sanitizer and a large sheet of Plexiglas between them and the poll workers handing out ballots.Only seven booths are available at the Unitarian Church, all 6 feet apart.AdvertisementDespite COVID concerns, Orange County resident Patsy Mcclelland, 55, wasn’t going to miss voting.WeeklyGet latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. &gt; ”I’m always up early to vote. It’s important to me,” she said. “I felt very safe inside. You know, they’ve got Plexiglas. They’re wiping everything, and there’s practically no one inside when you walk in.”— Joe Mario PedersenIf you haven’t already noticed the flood of text messages and emails hitting your smartphone yet, get ready for a potential deluge today.Registered voters should expect final appeals from candidates in many races, sprinkled with the occasional digital attack on their opponents.The first example to hit my mailbox this morning came from Orange County Sheriff John Mina, who is facing four opponents today: Andrew Darling, Darryl Sheppard, Jose “Joe” Lopez and Eric McIntyre.AdvertisementMina’s email urges me to vote and provides a link to look up my precinct. But here’s the thing: I early voted more than a week ago.— Mark Skoneki Advertisement

AdvertisementBy Orlando SentinelAug 19, 2020 at 9:47 pmMonique Worrell and will replace Aramis Ayala.With all 347 precincts reporting, Worrell had 42.4% of the vote. Her nearest competitor in the four-person race, retired judge Belvin Perry Jr., had 31.7% of the vote. Other competitors: Deborah Lynne Barra had 19.6% and Ryan Williams 6.3%.AdvertisementWorrell’s campaign , who has helped tip local races before. A Soros-backed spent at least $1.5 million on last-minute ads to help Worrell become the next top prosecutor for Orange and Osceola counties.AdvertisementBeleaguered Republican in...

Florida primary results: Monique Worrell wins State Attorney race; U.S. Rep Spano falls to GOP challenger

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