Incumbents Lorraine Koss, Alex Goins fend of challengers, retain Cocoa City Council seats
After a race in which challengers outraised incumbents in campaign contributions, the Cocoa City Council will see Lorraine Koss stay in her seat to represent District 4.
Koss easily bested her opponent, Jennifer Kenny, with 62.11% of the vote, compared with Kenny's 37.89%. Kenny had the backing of Cocoa Mayor Mike Blake,
Alex Goins also maintained his seat in District 1, beating challengers Ed Green and Demetrius Thomas. Goins received 51.06% of the vote, with Green getting 38.44% and Thomas receiving 10.50%.
District 1 includes the Cocoa Village area, along with the Diamond Square District neighborhoods around State Road 520 west of U.S. 1.
Goins, who works with ABC Land Clearing and Development, will serve another four years.
District 4 includes the areas north of Dixon Boulevard and largely west of Michigan Avenue, with some portions north of Michigan along U.S. 1.
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Because Blake and Councilman Rip Dyal endorsed and campaigned for her opponent, Koss feels there's a divide in city politics that she now hopes she can repair.
"This was a hard-fought race. I'm hoping I can find away to bridge this divide, so that we can act in the best interests of the citizens of Cocoa going forward. It's been divisive, and that's not good for anybody," she said.
"This is an affirmation of my being the elected representative. I'm hoping that they can no longer try to negate me, and that my voice and my representation of the citizens of District 4 will be heard," Koss said. "Jennifer Kenny ran a professional race, and I wish her the best."
Going forward, Koss said she wants to continue her mission of balancing development with the environment by championing smart growth.
"I'm hoping we can really double-down on smart growth by identifying green spaces, while developing where it's appropriate to develop," she added.
Koss, who spent her career with groups like the Water Environment Federation and the U.S. Water Alliance, has strived to balance growth and development with environmental protection in the city.
Kenny, who spent many years working in organized labor, raised money from unions around the state of Florida, predominantly the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, for whom she worked.
Cocoa City Council members are chosen in staggered elections across four districts, with a mayor who is elected at-large by the entire city.
Blake, Dyal and City Councilman LaVander Hearn, will face reelection in two years.
Members of the Cocoa City Council receive annual salaries of $6,000.
Tyler Vazquez is the North Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-917-7491 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @tyler_vazquez
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Incumbents Koss, Goins retain City Council seats in Cocoa
