Clermont Mayor Ash cruises to re-election
Clermont Mayor Gail Ash, who wanted another term to see through projects in the booming city’s master plan, cruised to reelection Tuesday over retired police officer Jack Kruse.
Ash won with 57 percent of the vote in her runoff Tuesday against Kruse, who patrolled the streets of Lake County’s largest city for a decade.
“They like what’s happening in the city,” said Ash, who was elected mayor in 2014 and reelected without opposition in 2016.
Another council incumbent, Diane Travis, defeated her challenger, Ebo Entsuah, to retain Seat 5.
In another closely watched Lake County municipal race, former Groveland mayor George Rosario failed in his comeback bid. Rosario was elected mayor in 2016 but later removed by the council after a felony conviction from Pennsylvania surfaced. On Tuesday, he was defeated for the District 3 seat by current Mayor Dina Sweatt.
Former council member Evelyn Wilson was elected mayor over three others, while Jeff Shoobridge won the race for the District 5 seat.
Another Lake County ex-mayor, Robert Wolfe, also lost his bid to return to elective office. He lost the Tavares City Council Seat 3 race to Roy Stevenson, a former assistant public defender disbarred in 2005. Wolfe was removed by Gov. Rick Scott in 2016 after his arrest on insurance fraud charges. He completed a program for first-time offenders that left him without a conviction on his record.
Mount Dora voters elected Crissy Stile, owner of Barrel of Books and Games, to an at-large seat over another downtown business owner, Katherine Ann Bellamy, and retiree Donnie Stroud.
Two open Eustis City Commission seats were won by commission veterans Karen LeHeupSmith, in District 1, and Michael Holland, in District 2.
Leesburg Mayor Dan Robuck, who said he wants to continue to reduce electric rates, held off a challenge from Don Lukich, a member of the city’s Planning and Zoning Board.
In Fruitland Park, residents of a new section of The Villages retirement community elected John Mobilian over Fred Collins for the District 2 City Commission seat.
And in Howey-in-the-Hills, voters ousted Chris Sears, a town council member since 2002 and mayor for a decade, in favor of newcomer Matthew McGill for Seat 1. Two other incumbents, Martha MacFarlane in Seat 2 and Ed Conroy in Seat 3, won re-election.