Volusia County Council: Jake Johansson takes at-large seat; Don Dempsey wins in an upset

Five new faces will join the Volusia County Council in January, but it won't include the three candidates heavily backed by County Chair Jeff Brower.

Doug Pettit, Ken Smith and Ted Noftall — dubbed the "Volusia Values" slate — all fell short Tuesday, defeated by Jake Johansson, Troy Kent and Danny Robins, respectively.

Brower has faced opposition among current council members against a number of his plans, including limiting development. The Brower-backed candidates pledged not to raise taxes and focused their campaigns in part on protecting the environment from overdevelopment.

The final unofficial results follow.

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County Council At-Large: Jake Johansson rolls over Doug Pettit

Former Port Orange City Manager Jake Johansson defeated Doug Pettit with 59%.

Johansson will replace Ben Johnson, who decided not to seek re-election.

Johansson was among the crowd at the Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery in Daytona Beach for a Republican watch party. He said he has been ready for the job since the day he filed his candidacy.

“I am all about bringing coordination, collaboration, communication and common sense to the Council,” Johansson said.

He said he thinks the County Council is “fractured right now,” and that he wants to "move our county forward instead of pointing fingers at each other.”

He also said one of his priorities is making government operations more easily understandable to the average person.

He said he has already established a network of relationships in Volusia County that will help him on the Council.

It was the first time that both Johansson and Pettit ran for an elected position.

Each has extensive military experience. Johansson spent 35 years in the Navy. He commanded a combat squadron in Iraq and a Naval base in Norfolk, Virginia, where there is one of the largest concentrations of military personnel in the world.

Pettit is a business owner, former teacher and retired U.S. Marine with 26 years of military service that included serving in Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991.

Both want to preserve Volusia County's remaining untouched lands, and they want to be good stewards of taxpayers' money.

The at-large council member is elected countywide, but the district council members are elected by voters in their districts. The council members will be sworn in at the first meeting of the year on Jan. 5.

Because of redistricting, all council district seats were on the ballot. They are normally four-year terms. The County Charter calls for staggered seats on the council, so District 2 and 4 will be up for election again 2024. Districts 1, 3 and 5 and the at large seat will be up for election again in 2026, according to the Volusia County supervisor of elections website.

About the candidates: Military vets square off in Volusia County Council at-large race

District 1: Don Dempsey upsets incumbent

In one of the night's biggest upsets, challenger Don Dempsey won the District 1 seat over incumbent Barbara Girtman.

Dempsey, an attorney with no previous political experience, received 58%, while Girtman got just shy of 42%. Dempsey won despite a large campaign finance gap: Girtman received $55,000, while Dempsey ran on just $12,000.

"First and foremost, I wanted to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ because he makes everything possible for me. I'll just do my best to do a good job for Volusia County," Dempsey said.

District 1 includes northwest Volusia County and some other western areas. The district includes the city of DeLand's incorporated areas, "Orange City, DeBary, Lake Helen and Pierson; and unincorporated parts of Astor, DeLeon Springs, Emporia, Seville, Barberville and surrounding areas," according to the county's website.

Dempsey, a longtime Volusia County resident, focused his platform on reducing the size of government and cutting taxes.

Girtman, a council member since 2019, listed economic development, transportation and "preserving, enhancing and creating parks and trails" as her top priorities.

A look at the District 1 candidates: Girtman focuses on transportation, economy, but challenger wants spending cuts

District 2: Matt Reinhart tops Danny Fuqua

In the closest of the six County Council races, Matt Reinhart won District 2 race over Danny Fuqua, by a 53-47 margin.

"I just can't wait to get started," Reinhart said.

He said one of his focuses will be building collaboration on the council.

"We've seen so much arguing up there on the dais. We want to end that," he said.

He also voiced appreciation for Fuqua on running a good race.

"He's an honorable man," Reinhart said.

Incumbent District 2 Councilwoman Billie Wheeler decided not to seek re-election.

The district includes Ponce Inlet, Wilbur-by-the-Sea, Daytona Beach Shores, Daytona, South Daytona, Port Orange and parts of unincorporated Volusia County, according to the county.

Reinhart, a New Smyrna Beach code enforcement officer, is the retired warden of the Volusia County Department of Corrections. He had never held an elected office before. His priorities included finding ways to increase small business sustainability, protecting people's tax dollars and supporting first responders.

Fuqua, a retired military veteran, has served on the Daytona Beach Economic Development Committee. He said his priorities include affordable housing, working with municipalities and providing a "premium quality of life for all Volusia residents."

A closer look at the contest: It's Danny Fuqua vs. Matt Reinhart in Volusia County Council District 2 race

District 3: Danny Robins is only incumbent to win Tuesday

Danny Robins breezed past Ted Noftall by a 62-38 margin to retain his seat on the County Council.

Robins could not immediately be reached for comment.

District 3 covers a large part of the county, including Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, Oak Hill and part of South Daytona.

The two candidates differed on in their priorities and their positions on growth.

In a candidate Q&A, Noftall listed one of his top priorities as "stopping overdevelopment by ending the taxpayer subsidies that encourage it." Robins listed one of his priorities as conservation.

While Noftall said he sees a need for reform in the county's approach to development, Robins said he believes the area in the county is doing a pretty good job protecting natural resources. Robins also said that much of the development is happening in the cities and is outside of the county's control.

First elected in August 2020, Robins has lived in Volusia County since 2004 and owns a sporting goods business, and he is married with two children.

Noftall has lived in Volusia County for over 30 years and owns J&M Moving and Storage. He also has a background in property management and public accounting, according to his campaign website.

More on their views: In Volusia, District 3 Council candidates have different outlook on development

District 4: Troy Kent moves from Ormond Beach to County Council

Longtime Ormond Beach city commissioner Troy Kent won his race against challenger Ken Smith by a 55-45 margin Tuesday.

"I am extremely thankful to the residents in District 4 in Volusia County for their trust in me, and I promise to work hard every day to make our county better than it was the day before," Kent said.

He said he's ready to get started on infrastructure issues, including correcting problems on LPGA Boulevard and Timber Creek Road. He also wants to provide more vehicle access on beaches, he said.

District 4 Councilwoman Heather Post decided not to seek re-election. She has served on the council since January 2017.

The district includes incorporated and unincorporated areas of Ormond Beach, Ormond-by-the-Sea, Holly Hill, the western half of Daytona Beach, and eastern portions of DeLand and DeLeon Springs.

Kent is an assistant principal with Volusia County Schools and has been on the Ormond Beach city commission for 19 years. His platform included improving infrastructure, including the LPGA Boulevard Bridge, eliminating tolls for beach driving and making short-term rentals illegal.

Smith is a small business owner and picture framer with Wall-Y-World Gallery. He has not held an elected office. His platform included stopping overdevelopment and protecting waterways, and he opposed tax increases.

More on the race: It's Kent versus Smith in Volusia's County Council District 4 contest

District 5: Former state Rep. David Santiago joins County Council

Former state lawmaker David Santiago won nearly 58% of the vote in his race against Deltona City Commissioner Victor Ramos, for the District 5 seat.

Santiago said on Tuesday night that one of his first priorities is to work with the Council to create quick fiscal and legislative priorities to focus on for the Florida Legislature's next session. He wants to bring more state funds to the county.

"We're ready to go to work," Santiago said.

Incumbent Councilman Fred Lowry decided not to seek re-election for the seat and unsuccessfully ran for Volusia County School Board. He said he will resign from his role on Nov. 14, and the seat will be vacant until January.

District 5 is the smallest district. It covers part of southwestern Volusia County, including all of Deltona and Enterprise and parts of DeBary and Osteen.

Santiago, who has lived in Deltona for more than 30 years, is a business and government consultant with the Tallahassee law firm Colodny Fass. He is a former state representative and Deltona city commissioner. His platform included promoting a strong economy, keeping taxes as low as possible and protecting the county's sensitive waterways, habitat and other environmental areas.

Ramos, who has lived in Volusia County for over 20 years, is the CEO of Mid-Florida Housing Partnership Inc. His top priorities included supporting affordable housing, having a balanced approach to development and investing in the county's roads and transit systems.

A long wait: Volusia County Council District 5 seat to be vacant until January

― Political Editor Mark Harper and Reporters Brenno Carillo and Eileen Zaffiro-Kean contributed to this report. 

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia County elections: Girtman loses District 1, Robins keeps seat