From Staff Reports
Orange County voters set the stage for several November contests Tuesday night, sending Chris Messina and Tiffany Moore-Russell for county mayor and Mike Crabb and Kamia Brown to a runoff in November for county commission District 2.
In other featured races, incumbent Rep. Doug Bankson won the Florida House District 39 Republican primary with 91.25% of the vote, while Roberta Walton-Johnson captured the Democratic nomination for Orange County clerk of courts with 52.9%.
Joe Strada won the Republican nomination for U.S. House District 11 with 33.59%, and James Pericola secured the Democratic nomination with 46.31%.
Orange County Mayor: Messina and Moore-Russell advance to November
Tiffany Moore-Russell and Chris Messina emerged from the four-candidate Orange County mayoral field and will advance to a November runoff.
With 262 of 263 precincts reporting, Moore-Russell led with 32% of the vote, ahead of Messina at 28%. Stephanie Murphy and Maria Uribe finished outside of the top two.
Because no candidate received more than 50%, the countywide, nonpartisan contest will be decided in the November 3 general election.
The runoff will determine who succeeds term-limited Mayor Jerry Demings.
Orange County Commission District 2: Crabb and Brown headed to runoff
Mike Crabb and Kamia Brown will meet again in November after leading the five-candidate race for Orange County Commission District 2.
Brown received 7,490 (32.15%) of the vote, while Crabb finished with 5,986 (25.69%). Wes Hodge, George Oliver III and Marsha Summersill did not advance.
Because neither leading candidate won a majority, the race moves to a runoff.
District 2 includes much of northwest Orange County, including Apopka and Ocoee. Crabb, an Orange County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant, was appointed to the commission seat shortly before the primary. Brown is a former state representative.
Orange County Clerk of Courts: Johnson wins Democratic primary
Roberta Walton-Johnson won the Democratic primary for Orange County Clerk of Courts. With 262 of 262 precincts reporting, Johnson received 43,551 (52.96%) of the vote, defeating Rick Singh, who received 23,596 (28.69%).
Johnson is an attorney and former general counsel for the Clerk of Courts.
Maribel Gomez Cordero withdrew after ballots were printed, and votes cast for her did not count.
Johnson will face Terrell Thomas, a no-party-affiliation candidate and former Clerk of Courts staff member, in the November general election.
U.S. House District 11: Strada and Pericola win party nominations
Joe Strada won the five-candidate Republican primary for Florida’s open 11th Congressional District with 33.59% of the vote.
Strada defeated Ivette Palomo, Nizam Razack, Carey Baker, and Tim Wilkins for the Republican nomination.
James Pericola won the three-candidate Democratic primary with 19,885 votes (46.31%), finishing ahead of Royal Webster with 11,745 votes and Dan Williams with 11.308.
Strada and Pericola will advance to the November 3 general election. Libertarian Ralph Groves, who qualified without primary opposition, will also be on the ballot.
The candidates are seeking to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster. Royal Webster and Daniel Webster are different people.
Florida House District 39: Bankson wins with 91%
Incumbent Rep. Doug Bankson scored the night’s most decisive victory among the featured local races, winning 10,464 votes (91.25%) of the Republican primary vote in Florida House District 39.
Bankson defeated challenger Carlos F. Johary Sr., who received 1,004 votes (8.75%) for the nomination.
The Apopka pastor and former city commissioner will face Democrat Jarod Fox in November. Fox qualified without opposition in the Democratic primary.
House District 39 includes Apopka and surrounding portions of northwest Orange and Seminole counties.
What comes next?
The November ballot will feature Messina against Moore-Russell for Orange County mayor and Brown against Crabb for County Commission District 2.
Walton-Johnson will face Thomas for clerk of courts, while Strada, Pericola, and Groves will compete for U.S. House District 11. Bankson and Fox will contest Florida House District 39.
Election-night totals are preliminary and unofficial. Results become official only after canvassing and certification.
This is breaking news and will be updated in future editions of The Apopka Voice.
