By SKYLA CARTERWashington County voters decided three local races Tuesday, August 18, with the results determining the winners of County Commission Districts 2 and 4 and School Board District 1. Those three races will not appear on the November general election ballot.
Voter turnout in Washington County was 37.85 percent.
In the District 2 County Commission race, Leigh “Lee” Cope defeated incumbent David Pettis Jr., receiving 2,943 votes (59.07 percent) to Pettis’ 2,031 votes (40.93 percent).
Cope thanked voters following the results.
“I would like to thank the citizens of Washington County for electing me as their next District 2 Commissioner. I am humbled by their trust in me and promise to do my best for our county,” Cope said.
Pettis, who will remain in office through October, thanked residents for the opportunity to serve.
“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve the citizens of Washington County during my term as Commissioner,” Pettis said. “Thank you for the support and encouragement along the way. I have enjoyed my time serving the citizens.”
Pettis acknowledged that the position came with challenges but said his time as commissioner has been rewarding.
“Some days were challenging, but most days were very rewarding,” he said. “My time is winding down and I will finish my term in October, but I will continue to serve until then. I love my county and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I hope the County continues to grow and prosper.”
In the District 4 County Commission race, incumbent Wesley Griffin retained his seat, defeating Curtis “Curt” Enfinger, 2,835 (53.20 percent) votes to 2,494 (46.80 percent).
Griffin expressed appreciation to voters following the results.
“I am truly honored and humbled by the confidence the voters of Washington County have placed in me,” Griffin said. “I am grateful to everyone who supported our campaign and took the time to vote.”
Griffin said he looks forward to continuing to represent District 4.
“It is a privilege to continue serving District 4, and I look forward to working hard for our community and representing the people of Washington County with honesty, dedication, and integrity,” he said. “Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to continue serving you.”
Enfinger thanked God, his wife, and his supporters following the election, and said he and Griffin ran “a good clean campaign.” He also expressed hope that county leaders will seek guidance from God when making decisions affecting Washington County.
“I pray the board will seek direction from God about decisions affecting Washington County and not from the opinions of others,” Enfinger said. “Like my wife said, we will trust His timing. His Will not mine.”
Enfinger also thanked those who supported his campaign, saying the election allowed him to make new friends and expressed hope they will remain in contact.
The School Board District 1 race also was decided Tuesday, with Sabrina Glover Woods defeating incumbent Cynthia “Cindy” Johnson Brown, 2,950 votes (54.99 percent) to 2,415 (45.01 percent).
Following her victory, Woods expressed gratitude to voters, as well as her family, friends, and supporters who assisted her campaign.
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the incredible support I have received throughout this campaign,” Woods said.
Woods thanked those who helped with campaign events, polling locations, signs, social media, phone calls, and other behind-the-scenes efforts.
“I truly could not have done this without you,” she said.
Woods also thanked residents who took the time to speak with her during the campaign.
“Every conversation, vote, prayer, and kind word has meant more than you know,” she said. “I am so blessed to have such an amazing community standing beside me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!”
Brown released the following statement on Wednesday, August 19.
“Thank you to everyone who supported me and placed their trust in me during this election. Serving on the Washington County School Board has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and I am incredibly proud of the progress our district has made and of the work I have done advocating for our students, teachers, staff, families, and community,” said Brown. “While the election did not turn out as I had hoped, I remain deeply committed to public education and believe there is still important work ahead for Washington County, particularly in strong governance, accountability, and keeping students at the center of every decision. I trust that God has a purpose for what comes next, and I look forward to finding new ways to continue serving and advocating for education. Thank you.”
In addition to the local races, Washington County voters also cast ballots in several statewide and federal primary races.
In the Republican gubernatorial primary, Washington County voters favored Jay Collins, who received 1,692 votes (38.75 percent). Byron Donalds received 1,195 votes (27.37 percent), followed by Bobby Williams with 473 votes (10.83 percent), James Fishback with 454 votes (10.40 percent) and Paul Renner with 416 votes (9.53 percent). The remaining candidates each received less than 1% of the vote.
In the Democratic gubernatorial primary, David Jolly received 452 votes (53.43 percent) in Washington County. Dayna Marie Foster was second with 122 votes (14.42 percent). The remaining candidates each received less than 15% of the vote.
In the Republican primary for U.S. House District 2, Austin Rogers received 1,474 votes (34.06 percent) in Washington County. Jim Norton followed with 792 votes (18.30 percent), while Evan Power received 615 votes (14.21 percent) and Keith Gross received 610 votes (14.09 percent). The remaining candidates each received less than 12% of the vote.
In the Democratic congressional primary, Amanda Marie Green received 373 votes (43.99 percent) in Washington County. Brice Barnes received 288 votes (33.96 percent), Yen Bailey received 129 votes (15.21 percent) and Nicholas Zateslo received 58 votes (6.84 percent).
In the Republican U.S. Senate primary, Ashley Moody received 3,527 votes (81.85 percent), followed by Chris Gleason with 574 votes (13.32 percent). The remaining candidates each received less than 5% of the vote.
In the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, Angie Nixon received 576 votes (67.37 percent) in Washington County, while Alex Vindman received 279 votes (32.63 percent).
In the Republican primary for chief financial officer, Blaise Ingoglia received 2,324 votes (55.65 percent), while Frank William Collige received 1,852 votes (44.35 percent).
In the Democratic primary for chief financial officer, Annette Taddeo received 466 votes (56.14 percent), while Earle Ford received 364 votes (43.86 percent).
In the Republican primary for commissioner of agriculture, Wilton Simpson received 2,856 votes (66.74 percent), while Matt Taylor received 1,423 votes (33.26 percent).
In the Democratic primary for commissioner of agriculture, Joey Mendoza Atkins received 430 votes (52.38 percent), while Donald A. “Don” Prichard received 391 votes (47.62 percent).
While the election results were being tallied Tuesday night, severe weather briefly affected operations at the Washington County Supervisor of Elections office.
The storm, which occurred about an hour before polls closed, caused Spectrum internet and phone service to go down at the office. According to Supervisor of Elections Deidra Pettis, the outage did not prevent election officials from tallying the votes or transmitting the results to the state.
“The storm caused our Spectrum internet and phone service to go down, but we were still able to get the results posted and sent to the state,” Pettis said.
Pettis credited the county’s poll workers, election staff, and canvassing board members for helping ensure the election proceeded successfully.
“A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this primary election a success,” Pettis said. “We could not have done this without our amazing poll workers, election staff, and canvassing board members.”
She also thanked Washington County voters for participating in the election and congratulated the county for ranking among the top 10 counties in Florida for voter turnout.
“A huge thank you to all of the voters in Washington County who took the time to cast your ballots and make your voices heard,” Pettis said. “Your participation truly makes a difference.”
Pettis encouraged voters to continue participating in the November election.
“Let’s work hard in November to move even closer to the top of this list,” she said.
The election results were certified following the canvassing process, with the three local races decided in Tuesday’s primary.
AMBER PATINO