Some surprises result from Republican straw poll at event that had record attendance
A record turnout and some straw poll surprises highlighted the Brevard Republican Party's 2024 Straw Poll and Family BBQ Picnic over the weekend.
Brevard Republican Executive Committee Chair Rick Lacey said more than 1,200 people attended the event, held Saturday afternoon at the Melbourne Auditorium, and about 750 of them participated in the straw poll.
The straw poll, of course, isn't a scientific poll, and the participants are just a small fraction of the more than 192,000 registered Republican voters in Brevard County. But many people who voted in the straw poll also are likely voters in the Aug. 20 primary.
Lacey said the event gave voters a chance to meet a number of Republican and nonpartisan candidates for local office in 2024, and gave the candidates a chance to meet a large group of voters at one time. More than 30 candidates gave presentations of three minutes apiece to voters. Many also had tables at the event to meet one-on-one with voters and hand out campaign literature.
"It was a great opportunity for all the voters who showed up," Lacey said.
Here is a rundown of some of the results from the straw poll:
U.S. Congress, District 8
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In somewhat of a surprise, John Hearton won the straw poll over former Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos by a vote of 232-216. Trailing among the Republican candidates was Joe Babits, with 20 votes.
Haridopolos has been endorsed by Donald Trump and by current U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, who is not seeking reelection in District 8, which includes all of Brevard and Indian River counties and part of eastern Orange County.
The winner of the Aug. 20 primary will face the winner of the Democratic primary between Sandy Kennedy and West Melbourne City Council member Daniel McDow in the Nov. 5 general election.
Florida Senate District 19
Another surprise was the tight vote in the Senate District 19 straw poll between Randy Fine (227 votes) and Chuck Sheridan (217) in this race, which is for the seat now held by Debbie Mayfield, who cannot seek reelection to the Senate because of term limits. Mayfield now is running for Florida House of Representatives in District 32.
Fine currently represents District 33 in the Florida House, and is term-limited there.
The Senate District 19 GOP primary winner will face Democrat Vance Ahrens in the general election.
Florida House
In District 32, Mayfield drew 283 votes in the straw poll, compared with 168 for her primary opponent, former U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon. The primary winner will face Democrat Juan Jose Hinojosa in November. The current District 32 House member, Thad Altman, is term-limited, and instead is running for Brevard County Commission in District 5.
In District 33, the four Republican candidates seeking to succeed Fine were tightly bunched in the straw poll. Monique Miller led with 123 votes, Logan Luse was second with 102 votes, Mike Limongello received 86 votes and Erika Orriss got 80 votes. The winner faces the winner of a Democratic primary between Vernon Mitchell Anderson Jr. and Anthony Yantz.
The other three Republicans who represent parts of Brevard County in the Florida House are incumbents and unopposed in the primary ― Chase Tramont in District 30, Tyler Sirois in District 31 and Robert Brackett in District 34. Their Democratic opponent in November are Kelly Anne Smith in District 30, Joanne Terry in District 31 and Joseph Alejandro Martinez in District 34.
Brevard County Supervisor of Elections
Current Supervisor of Elections Tim Bobanic received 412 votes in the straw poll, compared with 66 for his Republican primary opponent, current District 3 County Commissioner John Tobia, who cannot seek reelection to the County Commission because of term limits. The primary winner will face write-in candidate Sandra Cottrell in November.
Bobanic became supervisor of elections in 2022, after being appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of then-Supervisor of Elections Lori Scott.
Brevard County Tax Collector
Incumbent Lisa Cullen received 448 votes in the straw poll, compared with 39 for her GOP primary opponent, current District 1 County Commissioner Rita Pritchett, who cannot seek reelection to the County Commission because of term limits. The winner will face write-in candidate Daniel Edwin Lopez in November.
Cullen was first elected as tax collector in 2008.
Brevard County Commission
All three County Commission races up for grabs this year have no incumbents, with Pritchett and Tobia term-limited, and District 5 Commissioner Jason Steele not running election.
In District 1, there are four Republican candidates, and three of them were neck-and-neck in the straw poll. Former Titusville City Council member Robert Jordan had 139 votes, Titusville Mayor Dan Diesel had 126 and Katie Delaney had 122. Dwight Seigler trailed with four votes. The winner will face Democrat Bryan Bobbitt and Libertarian Nathan Slusher in the November general election.
In District 3, Kim Adkinson won the straw poll, with 221 votes, compared with 165 for West Melbourne City Council member John Dittmore. The winner of their Republican primary will face Democratic candidate and current Melbourne City Council member Yvonne Minus in November.
In the District 5 straw poll, Thad Altman received 282 votes, compared with 120 for former Florida Rep. Ritch Workman. The Republican primary winner faces Democrat Vinnie Taranto Jr. in the November election.
Brevard School Board
There are two nonpartisan elections for Brevard School Board this year that will be held Aug. 20.
In District 3, John Thomas, a former Melbourne City Council member, received 328 votes in the straw poll, compared with 32 for Amber Jean Yantz. This is the seat currently held by Jennifer Jenkins, who cannot seek reelection in this district because of a 2023 redrawing of district boundaries that resulted in her no longer living in District 3.
In District 4, incumbent Matt Susin received 324 votes in the straw poll, far more than his three opponents combined ― Keith Schachter (32 votes), Max Madi (13 votes) and Avanese Patience Taylor (13 votes). If no one receives more than 50% of the vote in the August primary, the top two vote-getters will to a runoff in November.
Municipal races
Among the results of the straw poll that attendees were watching involving the nonpartisan municipal elections was the race for Melbourne mayor. Former Mayor Kathy Meehan outpolled current Mayor Paul Alfrey, 72-39. Trailing was Hazel Buggs, with five votes.
In the straw poll for Palm Bay mayor, incumbent Rob Medina received 59 votes, compared with nine for Edith Riverie, three for Tatiana Rosado and two for Santa Isabel Wright.
Judicial races
Judicial races are nonpartisan, and those elections will be held with the Aug. 20 primary.
In the straw poll for Circuit Court Group 17, Kristen Smith-Rodriguez received 155 votes and Andrea Fant received 143 votes. Incumbent Circuit Judge Jennifer Taylor is not seeking reelection.
In the County Court judge Group 6 straw poll, Clarissa Harrell led with 171 votes, Margaret "Maggie" Wagner received 81 and Jacob Jay Speicher got 54. If no one receives more than 50% of the vote in August, the top two vote-getters will to to a runoff in November. Incumbent County Court Judge Kenneth Friedland is not seeking reelection.
In the County Court judge Group 10 straw poll, Timi Deann Tucker received 187 votes and Jonathan Andrew Skinner got 112. Incumbent County Court Judge Judith Atkin is not seeking reelection.
Republican state committeeman, committeewoman
The Republican Party positions of Brevard County state committeeman and state committeewoman also are up for grabs in the Aug. 20 primary.
Among the four committeeman candidates are Fine, who will be on the GOP primary ballot twice, since he also is running in the Florida Senate primary. Fine led the committeeman straw poll, with 169 votes, followed by Greg Loyd (102), Ed Brankey (97) and Wayne Twiddy (50).
There are six candidates for state committeewoman. Marcie Adkins led the straw poll, with 118 votes. Other candidates and their totals are Karen Colby (62), Marie Rogerson (55), Mary Benton (39), Gloria Rossi (34) and Natalie Brankey (28). In another twist, Adkins ran against Fine in a 2020 GOP primary for Florida House, which Fine won.
Incumbent State Committeeman Mike Thomas recently resigned from that position, and Loyd is filling the remainder of his term, Incumbent State Committeewoman Kim Adkinson is not seeking reelection to her party position, but is running for County Commission.
Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: GOP straw poll at weekend event generates some surprising results
