Too close to call: Santa Rosa District 2 commission race could go to recount this week

Alex Miller, Pensacola News Journal
·2 min read

The GOP primary race for the District 2 commission seat in Santa Rosa County was too close to call Tuesday and residents will have to wait to find out who will be their new commissioner.

With all the precincts reporting in the county, Kerry Smith and Jeff Ates IV were the two frontrunners, logging margins inside 0.5% of each other, which could trigger a recount.

Smith was ahead with 7,786 votes cast for him, compared to 7,748 for Ates.

Santa Rosa County Supervisor of Elections Tappie Villane told the News Journal in an email that provisional ballots and cure affidavits still have to be counted. She said the canvassing board is meeting Thursday afternoon, and afterward, it will submit the first set of unofficial results to the state and it will be determined if a machine recount is necessary.

According to unofficial results, Rickie Cotton came in third with 7,204 of the vote, about 2% less than the top two. Howard Steele trailed with 4,399 votes.

Our preview of the race: Infrastructure key component in four-way battle for Santa Rosa District 2 Commission seat

Kerry Smith
Kerry Smith

The District 2 seat has been filled by current chairman Bob Cole for nearly two decades. He was first elected to the seat in 2002. He did not run in this cycle.

Ates outspent the rest of the competition, according to the county's supervisor of elections website. He recorded over $77,000 in contributions compared to the roughly $39,000 raised by Cotton and the approximately $28,000 and $25,000 donated to Smith and Steele, respectively.

Whether it was mitigating stormwater, improving street interconnectivity or expediting the process of improving roadways, heading into Tuesday's race all four Republicans listed infrastructure policy as a core priority.

Jeff Ates IV talks about a borrow pit on his property in Milton on June 29.
Jeff Ates IV talks about a borrow pit on his property in Milton on June 29.

In terms of background, Ates is a sixth-generation Santa Rosa resident, having worked in sectors like retail, construction and public tax accounting.

Smith is a Realtor in the area and has made building roads before developments his main campaign piece in the 2022 race.

As Cole, an automotive technician and owner of Bob Cole's Automotive, exits, he leaves behind several large-scale projects he previously told the News Journal he helped to accomplish, including the new county courthouse on Avalon Boulevard, the June Ates Arena and the widening of State Road 87.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Santa Rosa District 2 commission race could go to recount this week