Biden, Trump win the Keys primary. Schools funding initiative easily passes
Former Vice President Joseph Biden and President Donald Trump overwhelmingly won their respective parties’ votes in Tuesday’s Florida Keys primary election.
And Monroe County voters of both parties decidedly approved a school funding ballot initiative aimed at increasing teachers’ pay. That referendum passed 12,969 to 2,824.
It allows the Monroe County School District to move 50 cents of every $1,000 in assessed property value from the building fund to the operations fund, which pays for teachers’ salaries, school medical staff and other classroom needs.
Proponents of the “Flexible Funding” plan, which has been approved the past five times the district has requested voters to do so, say it ensures the Keys has the highest starting teacher pay in the state. The tax initiative must be put up for a vote every four years.
Biden bested Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, as well as other Democrats still on the ballot, with more than 60 percent of the vote.
The longtime Delaware lawmaker received 5,197 votes, with Sanders receiving 1,980 votes, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg 674 votes, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg 257 votes, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren 214 votes.
Trump won close to 92 percent of the Monroe County Republican primary, way ahead of candidates Bill Weld, Joe Walsh and Roque de la Fuente.
