GOP maintains control of commission, offices

Republicans ruled Seminole County races on Tuesday, winning three commission seats, along with all five constitutional offices, despite a growing number of registered Democrats in the county in recent years.

Political newcomer Andria Herr, a Republican, defeated Democrat Pernell Bush and Libertarian Andre Klass to win the District 5 seat on the Seminole County Commission.

Herr received just over 51% of the votes cast, Bush earned 44% and Klass a little more than 4%. Herr will fill the seat vacated by longtime commissioner Brenda Carey, who opted not to seek another term.

In the District 3 commission race, Republican Lee Constantine won a third term by defeating Democrat challenger Kim Buchheit, a land surveyor and owner of Buchheit Associates Inc., Surveyors and Mappers in Apopka. He received 54% of the votes.

“I want to thank the citizens of Seminole County for their continued faith in me,” Constantine said. “I will pledge that I will do the very best job for all the citizens of Seminole, whether they Republican, Democrat or Independent.”

While in the District 1 commission race, Republican Bob Dallari held off a challenge from Democrat and wildlife activist Katrina Shadix to garner a fifth term on the commission. Dallari received just over 53% of the votes cast.

“It will be a pleasure and honor to represent this county for another 4 years,” Dallari said.

In the Sheriff’s race, incumbent Republican Dennis Lemma won 58% of the votes cast to defeat Democrat Paul Spike Hopkins.

In the Tax Collector’s race, real estate broker and Republican Jeff “J.R.” Kroll won just over 54% of the votes cast to defeat former radio personality and Democrat Lynn “Moira” Dictor. Kroll replaces former Tax Collector Joel Greenberg who resigned in June after being in

dicted on several federal charges, including stalking a political opponent and creating fake IDs by illegally using a state database.

In the Supervisor of Elections race, Republican Chris Anderson received 54% of the votes cast to defeat Deborah Poulalion. Anderson first took office in January 2019 after former Supervisor of Elections Michael Ertel was tapped by Gov. Ron DeSantis to serve as Secretary of State.

In the Property Appraiser’s race, incumbent Republican David Johnson won another term, defeating former Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplett, who ran without party affiliation. Johnson received nearly 61% of the votes cast.

In the Clerk of Courts race, Republican Grant Maloy won a second term defeating Democrat Kristina Renteria. Maloy earned nearly 55% of the votes cast.

But it was the county commission races that drew the most attention in Seminole. The wins by the three Republicans means the five-member board will remain entirely made up of GOPers in a county that has seen a steady increase in the number of Democrats. Registered Republicans currently outnumber registered

Democrats in Seminole by 1,654 voters. Whereas in November 2016, Republicans outnumbered Democrats by 13,150 voters.

Commissioners are elected countywide to four-year terms, but they must live within the district they are elected to serve.

Protecting the rural boundary was one of the main issues among the seven candidates. In 2018, former state legislator and developer Chris Dorworth brought forth plans for River Cross, a massive development project east of the Econlockhatchee River within Seminole’s protected area that limits development. Commissioners voted down the project that year after opposition from hundreds of residents.

All the commission candidates vowed in their campaigns that they would protect the rural boundary.

In her campaign, Herr called herself a pro-business candidate who supports protecting the environment. She serves on the governing board for the Central Florida Expressway Authority and on the board of directors for the Seminole State College Foundation.

An executive vice president of Hylant, an insurance brokerage firm, Herr often rides SunRail and said the commuter train is important for Central Florida’s economy.

Klass, a salesman for a computer store in Longwood, said “citizen empowerment” was the top issue in his campaign, along with making county government more accessible and transparent to residents.

Bush, owner of K.E.Y. Counseling Solutions in Oviedo, advocated for keeping taxes low, cutting wasteful spending and making sure county government is more transparent.

In the District 1 race, Dallari, a Disney employee, pointed to his years of serving on the MetroPlan Orlando and SunRail boards.

Shadix lost in 2018 by a razorthin margin to now commission Chairman Jay Zembower. She touted the fact that her campaign did not take any contributions from developers.

In the District 3 race, Constantine, who runs a consulting firm, campaigned on the pledge of protecting the rural boundary and supporting SunRail.

Buchheit said she was spurred to run for the commission after all five commissioners agreed last year to consider a lawsuit settlement offer by Dorworth to trade away the county’s Econ River Wilderness Area for the 669-acre River Cross land. Commissioners later rejected the trade proposal.