- April 19, 2024
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Sheriff candidate John Pollinger is still a question mark. Abigail Romaine enters county race.
The week of June 4 to June 8 has been marked on candidates’ calendars for months, and now it’s over: Qualifying period has ended, and the ballot is set.
Almost.
Sheriff candidate John Pollinger is still awaiting a decision from Circuit Judge Dennis Craig about whether he will be on the ballot. His status as a Republican has been called into question by Anne-Marie Shaffer, who was formerly associated with the campaign of Ray Stevens, another Republican candidate challenging incumbent Sheriff Donald Fleming. Jim Manfre and Karl Tozzi are running as Democrats.
A last-minute qualifier this week was Abigail Romaine, for the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners District 2. Host of WNZF radio’s “Center Uncensored,” Romaine is running with no party affiliation, or as an NPA. She will be on the ballot in November.
Republicans Dennis McDonald and Frank Meeker are vying for District 2 and will be on the Aug. 14 ballot.
Romaine and the winner between McDonald and Meeker will be vying to replace County Commissioner Milissa Holland, who resigned so she could run for Florida House District 24. Holland will face fellow Democrat Doug Courtney for the House seat in the Aug. 14 primary.
Including Holland’s seat, four of the five seats on the commission are up for election. Charles F. Ericksen Jr. is challenging incumbent Alan Peterson for District 1. Both are Republicans.
George Hanns, a Democrat, is unopposed in the primary. He will face Republican Ross Herbert Whitaker Jr. in November.
Commission Chairwoman Barbara Revels is unopposed and will serve another four years on the board.
See www.palmcoastobserver.com for more races.
One elected position that saw a good deal of activity during qualifying week is an unlikely one: Seat 3 of the East Flagler Mosquito Control District. The function of district is to manage the budget (funded by property taxes) for controlling the mosquito population in the area.
Shawn Byrnes is the incumbent. He left the state for six months on personal reasons, but now he’s back and has qualified to run again for a second term.
Meanwhile, Aynne McAvoy filed her paperwork weeks ago for the position, which pays $4,800 in salary. Many people have asked her why she’d want to be elected, she said, especially friends from out of town who “think the title is kind of funny.”
She said she was inspired a few years ago when she talked to former board member Jan Byrnes, who said that by controlling mosquitoes, “We make everyone’s life so much better.”
It made sense to McAvoy. “What can make you more miserable than a mosquito in your bedroom when you’re trying to sleep?” she said.
Ed Caroe also qualifed for the position.
Steve Levy is the fourth candidate. He said he was looking for a way to get involved in politics and government and that he has experience managing contracts, “so it seemed like a good fit.”
But he was as surprised as anyone to find out that Shawn Byrnes was back in town and running again. “I might have tried for a less crowded seat,” Levy said.
Jules Kwiatkowski was unopposed in Seat 1. Barbara Sgroi will face last-minute qualifier Konnie Rea for Seat 2.
