City Commission Candidates Running in November

By Mike Lednovich

Qualifying for the Fernandina Beach city commission election has ended, with six candidates, including two incumbents, running for three commission seats in November.

In addition, two sitting commissioners - James Antun and Darron Ayscue - will run for Mayor.

Here are the candidates and their respective commission seats.

Seat 1

Mayor Bradley Bean's term expires in December. He was elected to the city commission in 2020 and was elected mayor in 2022. Bean is employed by RYAM.

Phone: 904-415-5181

Email: [email protected]

Campaign Treasurer: Bradley M. Bean

Joyce Tuten is a retired AP Environmental Science teacher and a NOAA Climate Steward Educator.

Phone: 301-471-9531

Email: [email protected]

Campaign Treasurer: Joyce Tuten

Deputy Campaign Treasurer: James E. Tuten

Seat 2

Vice Mayor David Sturges was elected to the city commission in 2020, and his term expires in December. Sturges owns a residential construction company and multiple properties in Fernandina Beach and Nassau County.

Phone: 904-624-4596

Email: [email protected]

Campaign Treasurer: Kelly Sturges

Genece Minshew is a retired BellSouth executive with more than 35 years of experience in all phases of customer operations, customer relationship management, product management and field operations.

Phone: 404-314-0148

Email: [email protected]

Campaign Treasurer: Genece Minshew

Deputy Campaign Treasurer: Angela Hall

Seat 3

Commissioner Chip Ross' term expires in December and he is termed out.

Former city commissioner Tim Poynter (2014-2017), is a high-profile downtown business owner with restaurants, a putt-putt facility, a duckpin bowling establishment, and two other projects in the works.

Phone: 904-415-6533

Email: [email protected]

Campaign Treasurer: Steven Filkoff

Christy Kelly is a Fernandina Beach resident, who provided no background information on her candidacy.

Phone: 904-557-4482

Email: [email protected]

Campaign Treasurer: Christy Kelly

A third candidate, Tony Morris, withdrew from the race.