The races for two St. Johns County Commission seats were decided in the primary election Tuesday, Aug. 18, because all candidates were Republicans and there were no other challengers. Districts 2 and 4 were open to all registered voters in the county, regardless of party affiliation.
Martin Valerian Pyszczymuka was elected to the St. Johns County Commission District 2 seat with 35.09% of the vote. The incumbent, Sarah Arnold did not seek re-election. Heather Brofford received 29.36% of the vote, Tim Burres received 19.46%, and Will McMullan received 16.08%.
Incumbent Krista Keating-Joseph was re-elected to the St. Johns County Commission District 4 seat with 46.94% of the vote. Sam Williams received 35.64%, and James Austin Galloway received 17.42%.
Some of the biggest issues in the St. Johns County Commissioners’ race were overdevelopment, infrastructure, affordable housing, data centers and the homestead exemption amendment to appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.
Challenger Kevin Allen was elected to the St. Johns County School Board District 1 seat with 52.22% of the vote. He defeated incumbent Beverly Slough, who received 47.78%.
Tammie McClafferty was the top vote-getter in the race for the St. Johns County School Board District 4 seat with 46.17% of the vote. Jillian Tozer received 27.92%, and Leif M. Jonassen III received 25.91%. Because neither of the top two vote-getters received at least 50% of the votes cast, there will be a runoff election concurrent with the Nov. 3 election.
St. Johns County School Board District 3 member Jennifer Collins ran unopposed.
In the District 18 State Representative race, Republican incumbent Kim Kendall will face Democrat Art Stresing in the November general election. Kendall received 87.25% of the vote to opponent Diana Patrice Jordan-Baldwin’s 12.75%. Stresing received 59.9% of the vote to opponent Heather Anne Smith’s 40.1%.
In the District 19 State Representative race, Republican incumbent Sam Greco will face Democrat challenger Susanna Pavelle in the November general election. Both were unopposed in the primary election.
In the District 20 State Representative race, Republican incumbent Judson Sapp will face Democrat challenger Lee Butler in the November general election. Both ran unopposed in the primary election.
The stated percentages reflect the unofficial count with all 55 St. Johns County precincts reporting in, though votes by mail remaining only partially reported. Percentages are rounded. Where districts cross county lines, votes from other counties were included.
In the U.S. Senator race, Republican incumbent Ashley Moody will face Angie Nixon in the general election. Moody received 79.57% of the vote. Nixon received 56.6%. In St. Johns County, Moody received 79.75% of the vote and Nixon received 52.27%.
In Congressional District 5, Republican incumbent John H. Rutherford will face Democrat Rachel Grage in the general election. Rutherford received 67.7% of the vote to opponent Mark Kaye’s 32.2%. Grage received 65.06% of the vote to Alex Hazen’s 21.63% and Mark Heggestad’s 13.31%. In St. Johns County, Rutherford received 65.04% of the vote, and Grage received 64.71%.
In Congressional District 6, Republican incumbent Randy Fine will face Democrat Eric Yonce in the general election. Fine received 57.63% of the vote to Dan Bilzerian’s 18.92%, Aaron Baker’s 13.62% and Charles Gambaro’s 9.83%. Yonce received 32.14% of the vote to Murchinson-Rivera’s 26.88%, Morgan’s 23.3% and Cooper’s 17.69%. In St. Johns County, Fine received 56.99% of the vote, and Yonce received 41.97%.
In the governor’s race, Republican Byron Donalds will face Democrat David Jolly in the general election. Donalds received 47.79% of the vote. Jolly received 60.96%. In St. Johns County, Donalds received 43.31% of the vote, and Jolly received 64.95%.
In the race for Commissioner of Agriculture, Republican incumbent Wilton Simpson will face Democrat Joey Mendoza Atkins in the general election. Simpson received 68.91% of the vote. Atkins received 60.28%.
In the race for Chief Financial Officer, Republican Blaise Ingoglia will face Democrat Annette Taddeo in the general election. Ingoglia received 61.32% of the vote. Taddeo received 65.64%.
Florida Attorney General candidates Republican incumbent James Uthmeier and Democrat Jose Javier Rodriguez will face one another in the general election.
In the race for Circuit Judge, 7th Judicial Circuit, Group 26, the winner was Jeanne Stratis.
In St. Augustine, Ashleigh Barnes was elected to the City Commission, receiving 60.45% of the vote.
Tuesday’s voter turnout in St. Johns County was 27.22%. Out of the more than 239,000 registered voters, only a little more than 65,000 cast ballots, according to election night reporting by the St. Johns County Supervisor of Elections.
About 49% of the ballots were cast on election day, 33% were cast in early voting, 18% were mailed in a small number were cast as provisional ballots.
The general election will be held Nov. 3, with early voting from Oct. 21 to Oct. 31.
