The race for Seminole County Commissioner in District 3 stands to be the most interesting with five qualified candidates including incumbent Dick Van Der Weide and former State Senator Lee Constantine, who was term-limited out in 2010 after serving 10 years. Van Der Weide has served on the commission since 1992.
Van Der Weide and Constantine will face two other Republican candidates – Donald Epps and Kathleen Gallagher McIver – in the Aug. 14 primary. The winner of the Republican primary election will face write-in candidate Kevin Gross in the Nov. 6 general election.
Additionally, Republican County Commission Chairwoman Brenda Carey will be running against Democrat Gail Ellis for the District 5 seat. District 1 County Commissioner Bob Dallari was reelected without opposition.
On the school board, newcomer Amy Lockhart will face incumbent Sylvia Pond in the Aug. 14 primary. Pond began serving on the board in 2008. District 3 School Board Member DeDe Schaffner was reelected without opposition.
Other candidates include:
• County Judge, Group 2 – Jeff Dowdy, Greg Hass, Debra L. Krause and Jaimon H. Perry. Each candidate will be on the Aug. 14 primary election ballot. (If one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, then they will be elected. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, then the top two vote-getters will be in a run-off election at Nov. 6 general election.)
• Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Group 1 – Ariel Gaussart and Thomas Johnson (Both candidates will be on the Aug. 14 primary election ballot.)
• Seminole Soil and Water Conversation District, group 4 – James C. Adamski and Scott Sturgill (Both candidates will be on the Aug. 14 primary election ballot.)
Those elected without opposition were Clerk of the Court MaryAnne Morse, Property Appraiser David Johnson, Sheriff Don Eslinger, Supervisor of Elections Mike Ertel, Tax Collector Ray Valdes, County Judge Group 3 Mark Herr, County Judge Group 4 James J. DeKleva, Seminole Soil and Water Conservation District, Group 2, H. Alexander Duncan and Seminole Soil and Water District, Group 5 Judith Benson.