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Stewart Unapposed For New 4-Year Term

GRIMSLEY WILL FACE A CHALLENGER IN THE FALL

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By Jim  Konkoly | Highlands Today

Published: June 20, 2008

SEBRING — First-term Republican Highlands County Commissioner Barbara Stewart won a second-four-year term Friday afternoon when nobody filed to run against her for the commission seat from the Avon Park district.

Meanwhile, state Rep. Denise Grimsley, R- Lake Placid, will have a potentially formidable opponent in her bid for re-election.

At 3:30 p.m. Friday, three and a half hours after the noon deadline for certifying candidates, the Florida Division of Elections certfified an independent candidate who goes straight to the November general election.

Running against Grimsley will be an independent who formerly won four terms as a state representative and two terms as a mayor as a Democrat, and also is a former director of the Florida Department of Natural Resources, now renamed as the Department of Environmental Protection.

Elton Gissendanner, a veterinarian who, like Grimsley, lives in the Lake Placid area, was certified as an independent candidate for state representative in Grimsley's district.

After the noon deadline on Friday to certify candidates, Norma Stokes, Highlands County's assistant supervisor of elections, said the state Division of Elections reported that Gissendanner's qualifying application had not yet been ruled on.

Apparently, Stokes said, there was a question about whether Gissendanner's qualifying candidate's petition was valid or invalid.

At 2 p.m. Friday, Stokes said a spokesman for the state division of elections told the Highlands County Supervisor of Elections office that state officials would rule by Wednesday on whether Gissendanner's candidate's petition was valid or not.

However, at 3:30 p.m., Stokes reported that a top official of the Florida Division of Elections reported that Gissenndanner's petition is valid and he was put on the November ballot as an independent going for Grimsley's seat.

As far as county offices, there were no other surprises as Friday's noon deadline for candidates to be certified passed.

Stewart was at the Supervisor of Elections office shortly after it was certified that she has no opponent – Republican, Democrat or Independent – running against her. That, of course, means she automatically goes into a second four-year term on the county commission.

"I am very happy and appreciative," Stewart said while she spoke with Stokes and Joe Campbell, the county's supervisor of elections.

"I'm looking forward," Stewart added, "to continuing to serve the citizens and the taxpayers for another four years." The week began on Monday morning with Stewart expected to face a tough challenge for re-election with recently retired Highlands County Administrator Carl Cool running against her in the Aug. 27 Republican primary election.

But, by 2 p.m. on Monday, Cool announced that he had decided not to run. His surprise announcement came just several days after he announced that he would file to run against Stewart for the Avon Park district county commission seat.

In other countywide races, the supervisor of elections office certified the following candidates:
Sheriff: Susan Benton, Democrat, the incumbent running for a second four-year term; Michael Rowan, Democrat; and Republican Ron Grimming;
County Commission, District 3 (Sebring area): Andy Jackson, the Republican incumbent; and Jeff Carlson, also a Republican; plus two Democrats, Jeri Canale and Bruce Borkosky;
County Commission, Distrit 5 (the Sun 'N Lake of Sebring area): Four-term Republican incumbent Guy Maxcy; and Independent Zane Thomas, who works as a planner in the county planning department;
Clerk of Courts: Republican Bob Germaine and Democrat Mary Wilson;
Highlands County officials who, like Stewart, won re-election Friday because nobody filed to run against them are: Supervisor of Elections Joe Campbell; Superintendent of Schools Wally Cox; District 3 School Board member Ned Hancock; Tax Collector Charles Bryan; Property Appraiser Raymond McIntyre; District 2 School Board member Donna Howerton; John Causey, who holds "seat 2" on the Soil & Water Conservation District board of directors; William G. Hartt, who holds "seat 4" on the Soil & Water Conservation board; Jimmy Wohl, who holds "seat 5" on the Soil & Water Conservation board; and Judge Anthony Ritenour of the 10th judicial circuit.

To reach Jim Konkoly, call 863-386-5855 or e-mail jkonkoly@highlandstoday.com

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