Primary Election Voting is Crucial and Requires an Effort by Voters
For most of us, voting in a general election is easy – we choose the candidate of our party and trust they hold the same values as we do. Most of us vote for the straight-party ticket or create an undervote by skipping a race we are uncertain about. Very rarely do many of us split our tickets. Primary elections are different – they provide an opportunity to choose between two or more candidates registered in the same party. Instead of a straight party-line vote, we must choose among candidates registered in the same party as we are. We must do some homework! The August 20th Primary is a case-in-point.
For example, Marion County has a hotly contested race for State Representative, as Richard Gentry, Stephen Shives, and Beckie Sirolli vie for the Republican nomination, while in Lake County, the Republican Primary for Property Appraiser has become a hot topic as incumbent Carey Baker has been relegated to running a write-in campaign after what many consider legal but deceitful tactics by challenger Mark Jordan.
In Sumter County, of the five seats on the Board of County Commissioners, three are up for election and are being contested. Since no candidates filed as Democrats, all six candidates will appear on the Republican ballot, with the winners being elected to the Commission.
In District 1, with no incumbent seeking reelection, first-time filers Mary Lazich and Debora Butterfield are seeking the position. In District 3, one-term incumbent Craig Estep is being challenged by local businessperson Todd Coon. District 5 is unique in that both Don Wiley and Oren Miller have been elected to that position in the last four years. Miller was originally elected and then removed by Governor DeSantis during the pendency of his criminal trial and was reinstated after his conviction was overturned. Don Wiley was appointed to the vacancy by Governor DeSantis and subsequently elected and was removed when Miller was reinstated.
Now that you know who is running, what follows are several issues you may want to consider when making your choices:
- Are you pleased with the way the County Commissioners have dealt with fire and emergency medical services in The Villages and Sumter County?
- Do you agree with the creation of The Villages Public Safety Department Dependent District?
- Do you believe the imposition of more impact fees would be helpful or damaging to the health of Sumter County’s economic position?
- Do you support retaining your right to vote for all five county commissioners?
- Do you think that county spending increasing more than the rate of inflation is tantamount to a tax increase?
- Do you think County Commissioners should make a concerted effort toward reducing the rapidly increasing cost of property insurance?
- What type of experience do you believe makes the best commissioners?
The VHA understands that local government can and often does have a significant impact on property values and daily lives. The VHA urges you to do your homework, make your choice, and vote in the August 20th Primary Election!
The VHA Editorial Board
Rich Cole
Roger Kass