US Congress- While Mike Haridopolos will win this nomination outright, I can not in good conscience cast my vote for him. I am concerned about which Haridopolos we get, House Mike or Senate President Mike- the former being clearly better than the latter, it’s clear Mike is the best qualified to serve Brevard in this seat. However, his support of John Tobia in the Supervisor of Elections race is very troubling. It’s an indicator that politics will play some role above serving the public in Mike’s world. For that reason, he has not earned my vote.
John Hearton’s lack of political acumen is glaring and he does not appear ready to adequately and realistically be effective as our Congressman. His idealistic view is shared by many of us, but he’s exhibited no understanding of the work necessary to bring it to fruition. Given several opportunities to say HOW he would accomplish his goals, Hearton spoke in platitudes, not specifics. His misunderstanding of the Supreme Court and its role in our society is also troubling.
I will undervote this race unless and until Mike Haridopolos retracts, in very public fashion, his support for John Tobia as Supervisor of Elections.
Florida Senate- Randy Fine: After spending a year of making false allegations of antisemitism toward me and trying to get me fired, Fine is clearly not my favorite elected official, but his opponent has been a candidate repeatedly in Brevard and has never been a good one. This has not changed. Fine is much more capable of doing this job whether I’d prefer that to be the case or not.
Florida House D-32- Dave Weldon: Dave was a successful, conservative congressman. He’s reentering the political realm to serve in Tallahassee and Tallahassee could use him. Dave’s knowledge of and effectiveness in Washington would serve Brevard well in the Florida House. His opponent, who did not respond to our invitation to appear, has been less than conservative in her terms in the legislature. Dave’s measured, contemplative approach would be a fresh change for a legislature that has shown little tolerance for debate and consideration or concern for the rights of Floridians in its actions over the past several years.
Florida House D-33- Monique Miller: Monique is another solid conservative and appears to be the only such candidate in this race. This is a crowded field that has many new faces who aren’t seasoned enough to be effective in the job. Monique most certainly is. Her job has her regularly interacting with government agencies and officials from state to federal levels. Monique’s energy and experience in the arena, combined with her conservative philosophy, make her the choice for this seat.
Tax Collector- Lisa Cullen: Lisa worked in this office for 22 years before being elected to the top job. She knows and understands the operation inside out and has run that office efficiently her entire time in office. Her opponent can not come close to Lisa's understanding of or performance in this job. There is no comparison. Lisa deserves to stay in this position and Brevard deserves that level of dedication to service.
Rita Pritchett’s lack of understanding of the role of Tax Collector is glaring. That, or she’s trying to deceive voters into believing the Tax Collector sets the tax rates. Her cries of Lisa being a career politician are simply untrue. It’s Rita who’s been termed out of two elected offices and wants another where there are no term limits. Now, who’s the career politician?
Supervisor of Elections- Tim Bobanic: Lori Scott mentored Tim into having the ability to run this office. That speaks volumes. Tim has been in elections some 15 years as an IT director before assuming the SOE role. His opponent has never bothered to learn about the operation of elections and has never been an administrator. John Tobia (Johnus Disgustus) is the epitome of a career politician who has 16 years in legislative positions and none in administration. He has been under criminal investigation for multiple offenses including allegations of manipulating, hiding or destroying public records. If even close to true, his election would raise a cloud of suspicion over an office where meticulous record keeping is the law. Tobia has never taken a leadership role and he most certainly does not deserve this one. Tim, on the other hand, is a dedicated elections professional who deserves to be elected to this job he was appointed to hold when Lori retired.
County Commission D-1- This is a tough call for me. Two candidates are known quantities to the district. Three were unknown to me. Dwight Seigler committed to an interview and then did not show up or give notice he would not appear. Katie Delaney is a now familiar voice in the community. She’s sincere, but yet unseasoned. She handles herself well and has the right perspective on the issues. Dan Diesel is the Mayor of Titusville and admired figure in the district. He’s committed to solutions. When I asked him about tone and issues on the commission, he was noncommittal and nonspecific. I need more from a candidate. Robert Jordan causes me trust issues given his ardent support of Democratic candidates in the past and the heavy influence of former Commissioner Robin Fisher. He’s a recently converted Republican (2016) who, like Diesel, seems committed to public service. His stated positions on specific issues were clear, well thought out and consistent with fiscally conservative principles. That willingness to go into specifics in what could have been an adverse environment would earn him my vote in this district.
County Commission D-3- This is another race with a couple of good candidates. John Dittmore interviewed very well and came with a plan on specific issues and how he would like to address them. Kim Adkinson brought respect, a listening ear and willingness to work with others for the good of the community to the table. The county commission has little of that right now. Previous experience with Dittmore causes me concern with his ability to listen or compromise on his plans. For those reasons, Adkinson earns my vote here. This commission needs to tone down and I believe she can bring that into play.
County Commission D-5- I like both of these candidates personally. I have disagreed with both on their policy decisions in the Florida Legislature. I believe both are sincerely interested in doing their best for the Space Coast. That said, I am concerned about one’s understanding of doing the right thing in spite of friendships. Ritch Workman’s support of John Tobia for the Supervisor of Elections office is not doing what’s best for the people of Brevard. This goes well beyond loyalty to a friend and into doing the right thing for the right reasons. Thad Altman brings a level of decorum and respect to the commission that we desperately need. We disagree on some issues, but in the end, he wants what’s right for Brevard and stands a better chance of getting it done while transforming the commission into a better functioning body. Thad gets my vote in this one.
School Board D-3- John Thomas earns the vote here. While both candidates are personable, John is familiar with the issues and how to work in that body to impact our schools. He is also closer to my philosophy on discipline, DEI, Title IX and other issues. I have concerns about his stance on vouchers, parental choice and tax dollars following the student (he doesn’t like that), but he is the superior candidate here.
School Board D-4- A four-person race makes this tough to win in the primary and it will likely go to the November General Election for a decision. All four candidates are personable and I respect Max Madl for making the run at 18. He will benefit from the experience in the long run. He’s headed off to college in the fall and could not devote the time to this job that it requires. He’ll be a formidable candidate one day, should he choose to run again.
Current Board Member Matt Susin is schooled up on the job. He’s been in it eight years and should be. He tends to put too many irons in the fire and talks about a lot of things, but the accomplishments are not well publicized. Still, he comes off to me as the most qualified of the candidates in this race and has earned my vote.