Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
June 24, 2016 12:15 p.m.
At noon today the qualification period officially ended for Nassau County’s 2016 political races. There were some last minute entries, meaning that while it looked like certain races would not have a contest, that has now changed. Here is the line up for the primary ballot:
All voters, regardless of party affiliation, are eligible to vote in the following primary races (incumbents’ names in italics):
- Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller (Walter “Jr.” Boatright, John A. Crawford)
- County Commissioner, District 1 (Danny Leeper, Sarah Pelican)
- County Commissioner, District 3 (Donald P. “Pat” Edwards, Tim Peak)
- School Board Member, District 5 (Tyrone Blue, Jonathan Petree) non-partisan race
- Ocean Highway & Port Authority, District 2 (Jimmy Dubberly, Danny Fullwood)
Only registered Republican voters are eligible to vote in the following primary races:
- School Superintendent (Janet H. Adkins, Kathy Knight Burns)
- Tax Collector (John M. Drew, Carlos E. Slay)
- County Commissioner, District 5 (Klynt Alan Farmer, Justin M. Taylor, Joe Zimmerman)
- Ocean Highway & Port Authority, District 1 (Edward T. Coop, Pat K. Gass, Robert H. Sturgess)
The winners of these four, closed Republican primaries will face off against non-Republicans in the November general election. In the School Superintendent race, the opposition will be Libertarian candidate Cheryl Reynolds James; Tax Collector primary winner will face write in candidate John L. McDowell; District 5 County Commissioner primary will face write in candidate Don Tanner; OHPA 1 Republican candidate will face Democrat Coleman Langshaw. Should any of the challengers to the Republican primary winner withdraw before the November election, the Republican primary winner would be declared the winner of the election.
The following offices will not appear on the August primary ballot because only one candidate qualified for each office. In those cases, there is no need for an election, so the following offices have been declared decided:
- Property Appraiser (Incumbent Mike Hickox)
- Supervisor of Elections (Incumbent Vicki P. Cannon)
- School Board Member, District 2 (Incumbent Gail Cook)
- School Board Member, District 4 (Incumbent Kimberly Fahlgren)
The Sheriff’s race will not appear on the primary ballot because only one Republican—incumbent Sheriff Bill Leeper—will face unaffiliated candidate Carol Batchelor in the November general election.
Other non-partison local races have attracted only single candidates, so they will not appear on the ballot. The following individuals will be declared elected:
- Amelia Island Mosquito Control District, Group 1: Mike Kelley
- Amelia National Community Development District 3: Anna M. Jowers
- Amelia National Community Development District 4: Laura Dubberly
- Heron Isles Community Development District 3: Donald Lyons
- Heron Isles Community Development District 5: Ricky A. Rowell
- Soil & Water Conservation District, Group 4: Halston Nelson
For information on primaries for state and federal offices that you may see on your ballot, consult the Supervisor of Elections website: www.VoteNassau.com.
Remember that the deadline for voter registration or party change to be able to vote in the primary election is August 1, 2016. Election Day is August 30, 2016. Early Voting will be available at select polling places August 19-27. Consult the Supervisor of Elections website www.voteNassau.com for information on polling places, hours and mail ballots.
In the past some voters who were not registered Republicans expressed confusion in seeing primary contests featuring only Republicans on their ballots. They have often left those ballots blank, mistakenly assuming that they could not vote in those races. Wrong! Rest assured that you may vote in any race that appears on your ballot. If you are not eligible to vote in a particular race, that race will not appear on your ballot.
Editor’s Note: Suanne Z. Thamm is a native of Chautauqua County, NY, who moved to Fernandina Beach from Alexandria,VA, in 1994. As a long time city resident and city watcher, she provides interesting insight into the many issues that impact our city. We are grateful for Suanne’s many contributions to the Fernandina Observer.
The Florida Primary system can be a convoluted mess for the unfamiliar voter. I think it is great that Suanne Thamm wrote this piece to help clarify it for your readers.
As one of the “non-Republican” candidates, it has been a challenge to make people aware of the nuances and meanderings of the Florida Primary. Ideally, this should be changed, but as it stands it will take a lot of repeated re-education for voters, as the November General Election is far down the road, and news cycles are understandably dominated by current event. I hope that this article, or another similar one, will be published again in perhaps October.
On a side note, partisan politics at the local level seems an unnecessary and counter-productive condition for running for election. National and state issues versus local issues are sometimes a world apart, and voting for a particular candidate simply because of party affiliation may not be in the best interest of the local voter.
I encourage all voters to find the time to learn about the various candidates and their positions relative to the office he or she is seeking. Quite often a social liberal can also be a fiscal conservative (or vice-versa). How the candidate views a personal topic versus how he or she will truly spend your tax dollars may surprise you, and as such, good vetting before voting will pay big dividends!
I agree with Mr. Langshaw, who will be my opponent if I win the Republican primary for District One of the Port Authority. In recent years, the Port has become embroiled in front-burner controversies involving the entire County, so I also believe voters should familiarize themselves with the candidates. In this regard, Ms. Thamm might also have noted in her fine article that the candidate’s bios are also available at votenassau.com, where she states polling places and ballot info can be found. Simply look for “Announced Candidates”, and find the ones in your district. According to a poster in the lobby of the Supervisor of Elections, a voter’s first duty is to learn about the candidates. Thank you, Ms. Thamm and Mr. Langshaw.