Zembower wins GOP Seminole commission primary; runoff ahead for Sanford mayor’s race
Seminole Commissioner Jay Zembower held off a challenge by political newcomer Brittany Walker to win the Republican primary on Tuesday. He garnered just over 58% of the votes cast with all of the county’s 82 precincts reporting.
In Sanford — Seminole’s largest city — Mayor Art Woodruff and challenger Charles Davis were headed to a runoff election on Nov. 8 after neither candidate received more than 50% of the votes cast.
Zembower will face Democrat and wildlife activist Katrina Shadix in the November general election for the District 2 commission seat.
“The voters of Seminole County are much wiser than folks give them credit for,” Zembower said as he celebrated his victory in Winter Springs.
Walker, owner of Eques Consulting, filed to challenge Zembower early this year as she voiced opposition to Seminole’s emergency orders enacted in March 2020 to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus by limiting the capacity in public buildings and requiring patrons of businesses to stay at least 6 feet apart.
Walker called the mandates unnecessary and “heavy-handed government” action that financially hurt businesses.
But Zembower, who was commission chairman at the time, countered that Seminole was following the lead of Florida and the guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the state saw a swell of COVID-19 cases and deaths. He also noted that Gov. Ron DeSantis in April 2020 issued a stay-at-home order that directed residents to limit contact with others.
Walker in her campaign also raised concerns about the increasing number of apartments and other forms of high-density rental housing being approved by the commission. Zembower, who was first elected in 2018, said many of those developments are approved in areas designated by the county as urban, and an effort to provide affordable housing.
Seminole commissioners serve four-year terms and are elected countywide. They must live within their districts. Seminole’s District 2 stretches roughly from the center of county to the Brevard County line. It includes the communities of Geneva, Winter Springs and portions of Sanford and Longwood.
Because Shadix is the only Democrat in the District 2 race, she did not face an opponent in Tuesday’s primary.
In Seminole’s political contest for the District 4 commission seat, Republican Amy Lockhart will face Lake Mary resident Patricia Smith, who is running without party affiliation, in the November general election.
Sanford mayor’s race
In Sanford, the mayor’s race was dominated by the issues of controlling the city’s rapid growth and downtown parking. Woodruff received nearly 48% of the votes cast; Davis, who owns an insurance business, garnered nearly 32% of the votes. Challengers Chan Robinson received almost 17% and Christopher d’Hedouville, just over 3%.
Woodruff was appointed mayor in 2020 by the city commission after Jeff Triplett resigned to run for Seminole property appraiser.
Davis also is the president of Sanford’s community redevelopment district.
In the city’s District 1 commission race, incumbent Sheena Rena Britton was headed for another term after receiving more than 57% of the votes cast. Her challenger Christina Hollerbach received nearly 43% of votes.
Britton was appointed to fill the District 1 commission seat in 2020 after Woodruff was named mayor. The district covers most of the downtown area and extends to neighborhoods near the Orlando Sanford International Airport.
In the contest for the District 2 commission seat, incumbent Kerry Wiggins also was elected to another term after receiving 57% of the votes. His challenger, Mario Hicks, garnered 43%. Wiggins was first elected in 2018.
District 2 covers most of the historic Black neighborhood of Goldsboro.
Sanford’s mayor and commissioners serve four-year terms. The mayor is elected citywide, and commissioners are elected within their districts.
The main issues among the candidates vying for the mayor’s and commission seats was planning for Sanford’s future growth, dealing with challenges of an increasingly popular downtown district and parking.
