DEMOCRAT ALEX SINK CONCEDED THE GOVERNOR’S RACE TO REPUBLICAN RICK SCOTT LATE THIS MORNING, SO SCOTT IS THE GOVERNOR-ELECT. ALSO, REPUBLICAN MARCO RUBIO EASILY DEFEATED INDEPENDENT CHARLIE CRIST AND DEMOCRAT KENDRICK MEEK IN THE RACE FOR THE U S SENATE SEAT, WHILE REPUBLICAN JEFF ATWATER WAS ELECTED THE NEW CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR THE STATE, REPUBLICAN PAM BONDI IS THE NEW STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND REPUBLICAN ADAM PUTNAM IS THE NEW STATE AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER. AS FOR THE STATE AMENDMENTS, THE HOTLY CONTESTED AMENDMENT 4 WAS EASILY DEFEATED, AS WAS AMENDMENTS 1 & 8, WHILE AMENDMENTS 2, 5, AND 6 PASSED. HERE IN THE SOUTHWEST PLEX, VOTERS RE-ELECTED DOUG HOLDER AND KEN ROBERSON BACK TO THE STATE HOUSE IN DISTRICTS 70&71, WHILE VERN BUCHANAN AND CONNIE MACK JR. WERE ELECTED BACK TO WASHINGTON FOR ANOTHER TERM AS SENATORS IN DISTRICTS 13&14. IN THE SARASOTA COUNTY COMMISSION RACES, JOE BARBETTA AND NORA PATTERSON BOTH WON RE-ELECTION FOR SEATS TWO AND FOUR RESPECTIVELY, WHILE CHRIS CONSTANCE BESTED JASON GREEN FOR CHARLOTTE COUNTY COMMISSION SEAT 2. IN THE NORTH PORT CITY COMMISSION RACES, JIM BLUCHER WON RE-ELECTION FOR SEAT 4 AND LINDA YATES WAS THE WINNER FOR SEAT 5 AND BOTH BOND ISSUES ON THE BALLOT IN NORTH PORT WERE SOUNDLY DEFEATED, MEANING THERE WILL BE NO WATER PARK BUILT BY TAXPAYERS AND CITY ROADS WILL NOT BE REPAIRED WITH THE TAX THAT WAS PROPOSED. IN ENGLEWOOD, PAUL MANKE AND PHYLLIS WRIGHT BARELY HELD ON TO THEIR ENGLEWOOD WATER DISTRICT SEATS, WHILE THE ENGLEWOOD FIRE CONTROL DISTRICT BOARD WILL HAVE TWO NEW MEMBERS…ROBERT BACON AND JEFF KERN. INCUMBENT RON DAVISON BARELY HELD ON TO HIS SEAT, BEATING CHALLENGER PETER WATSON. IN VENICE, JOHN HOLIC WAS ELECTED MAYOR, WHILE BOB DANIELS AND JEANETTE GATES OUSTED INCUMBENTS ERNIE ZAVODNYIK AND SUE LANG FOR VENICE CITY COUNCIL SEATS. ALSO, VOTERS IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY VOTED DOWN THE SCHOOL BOARD PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX REFERENDUM, BUT ALL EIGHT CHARLOTTE COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENTS PASSED. VOTER TURNOUT WAS HEAVY. 52% OF REGISTERED VOTERS CAST BALLOTS IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY, WHILE 56% DID IN SARASOTA COUNTY.
