According to the Supervisor of Elections office, 34,271 people have voted in the Aug. 18 primary – 23,109 by mail, 11,158 early voting and 4 provisional ballots. Many of the races probably have already been decided with those votes, but we feel five are still up in the air.
Tomorrow’s ground game could be the difference maker – who can get their voters to the polls on Tuesday the best.
Escambia County Commission District 1
No district has been more heavily polled than this one where incumbent Jeff Bergosh faces Jessie Casey, Jonathan Owens and Jimmie Trotter. Â Bergosh is in the running in every poll, and Trotter is not.
Most polls have Bergosh in the lead, but they differ on who is in second and whether Casey or Owens are close enough to unseat the incumbent.
Emerald Coast Utilities Authority District 3
There is no incumbent in this race in which Ellison Bennett, Clorissti Berine Shoemo, Eric Jordan Sr., Ashley McDonald and Larry Williams face off. Â The winner will likely be the one who can garner 25% of the votes cast. As of last weekend, 28% of the voters was undecided.
Pensacola City Council District 7
Another race without an incumbent.  Fred Levin’s grandson, Brenton Goodman, has campaigned the hardest, but  will he have enough votes to avoid a runoff in the general election? And if there is a run-off, who will be his opponent – James Gulley or DeLarian Wiggins?  If it’s Gulley, the race will be an all-white runoff for what has been Black-controlled seat on the council for decades.
Florida House District 1
Incumbent Mike Hill’s campaign has been caught lying so many times that we’ve lost count. Still he has a lead in the race according to the polls we’ve seen. However, the margin over Michelle Salzman is only ranges from 5% to 7% and 20% of the vote is undecided. GOP leaders around the state are hoping Salzman will be pull this off.
Florida House District 2
In February, challenger Cris Dosev led incumbent Alex Andrade – by eight points with 44% undecided. Dosev still led Andrade going into July.
But then Andrade got the dynamic duo of GOP endorsements – Congressman Matt Gaetz and Gov. Ron DeSantis. And with those endorsements came the implied support of their buddy, President Donald Trump. Â Dosev has been helped by a series of columns by PNJ’s Andy Marlette bashing his opponent.
The GOP trinity for Andrade appears to have been enough to flip the race giving him a nine-point lead, but there still is 29% undecided.
I want to congratulate all the winners of last nights election. Now on to the Reelection of our President Donald J Trump. Thank you Rick Outzen for your forum.This is AMERICA and we are still free to agree and disagree with our fellow Americans, without being negative. Let’s move on as a unified community to make Escambia County/Pensacola the best we can be. Not everyonewon an election last night, but everyone is still a winner and can work together to make our community thrive. We count on our local political leaders and elected officials to help unify us. In Jesus Name Amen
Let me start by saying, Michelle Salzman is a first-class human being. We are fortunate to have her even consider serving as the State Representative of District 1, and we will be even more fortunate tomorrow when she wins the primary election. I don’t need to recite Michelle’s experience and expertise, she has already done a great job of that (in case you haven’t seen it, go to her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ThePeoplesConservative/). She will go to Tallahassee and represent Northwest Florida with the work ethic and integrity we deserve. She will foster relationships in Tallahassee to build goodwill for our community, fight for infrastructure appropriations to fund projects that improve our safety and help grow and protect jobs, and champion necessary legislation to help us flourish as a community and a state.
As you may know, Mike Hill has also shared with us his experience and expertise. We have borne witness to his experience of going to Tallahassee and producing nothing. He has served Northwest Florida in two different House districts, for one full term each stint, and he has produced zero appropriations for this area. He has meagerly served and produced nothing. His inappropriate actions have even gotten him removed from committee assignments. Mike is either trying to build a resume or an ego because he certainly isn’t trying to build an alliance with the rest of the Panhandle delegation to strengthen our part of the state. Not sure why he needs to build a resume since he owns an insurance agency. He must just be building his ego. If you’re still undecided, read his campaign information. Is there anything in it to show what he has done since being elected to office? Does he list one single bill he sponsored and got across the finish line? Or does he just attack his opponent to bring her down since he can’t bring himself up?
If you haven’t already voted, please consider voting for the only qualified candidate in the Republican primary for FL House District 1. Vote for Michelle Salzman. She is the right choice.
Not a single bill that Hill proposed in the Florida House was passed during the 2019 legislative session which ended on May 3rd. Mike Hill had his turn at the wheel. If you believe in traditional conservative values based on love and community rather than hate and division, then your only choice is Michelle Salzman.
Mike Hill is the highest Principled, most dedicated lawmaker and GREATEST FREEDOM ADVOCATE IN our NW Florida Legislative delegation!
Put Freedom & Florida First and Support Mike Hill NOW!! from my friend and true Patriot Dr. Spain.
Nationally many Democrats are #Walking away since the Democrats have proven to be treasonous and traitors in Congress especially for the USA since 2016. To mention Soros’ money involved is not antisemitic, It’s a fact he pushes money into causes to disrupt the USA. He wants open borders and to ruins the country for globalism and power. He stated himself if the dems took the house in 22018 they would impeach. We saw how that worked. Barr is going after them also. The violence in the streets and the lies of the liberal media and the exploitation of identity politics and the down right insanity of the Markist and far left has been a big movement nationally and growing. People have eyes to see. Leo Terrell made a moving speech. Thomas Sowell has a lot to say there also. Not all blacks are fooled by the agenda. It seems the timing of the riots have actually been helpful to make a clear distinction of their misinformation campaigns. This may be out of place but yes voted Saltzman locally. I think it’s best to not judge people by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. The BLM exploits race, and the democratic party pushes gender to vie for power and they are using brainwashed people to silence conservatives. It’s very disgusting. Therefore many Americans are walking away from the democratic party and the communist and socialist agenda to ruin our country. Pretty simple. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CON3jTbERXk
Folks we need a change.Lets vote Michelle Salzman for a very conservative representative that has the backing of law enforcement, especially since we are getting a welcome change there as well.
Just a little reminder that one of the most important votes right now is to vote out State Rep Mike Hill, & vote in âï¸ Michelle Salzman âï¸ She will bring much needed positive change to our community, & we can get rid of the hatred & division Mike Hill spreads.
âŒMike Hill is a right wing extremist that is pushing QAnon rhetoric.
âŒMike Hill has a long history of showing he’s homophobic & laughed at the suggestion that gay Floridians should be executed.
âŒMike Hill has also sent out the most disgusting campaign fliers with blatant lies to deceive voters.
âŒMike Hill was removed from his seat on the House Public Integrity and Ethics Committee for his vile remarks.
âŒMike Hill also falsely claimed that he had both President Trump’s endorsement and, oddly, his star from the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 🤨That’s just a small sample of what he’s done.
In February protestors gathered to call for his resignation for his sick remarks, yet he thought that was humorous too. Let’s please show him we remember everything he’s done & what he truly stands for, by voting him out & replacing him with Michelle Salzman!
I live in Mike Hill’s district and that fool hasn’t done anything to help us in the black community. He likes to pretend like he’s not even black. He only helps the right wing extremists that love on confederate monuments, and don’t think gays should have rights. He hasn’t done anything for my district or my people. He only spreads hate in our district. He was even yanked off his seat on the house public integrity and ethics committee for his hate. He opens his mouth and lies fly out. We’ve had enough of him and we need someone that will serve the community not just the crazies that worship him.
Donna, I just want to be clear on something. Surely you aren’t saying that voters in the black community who are registered democrat are switching to republican to support Mike Hill–a man who has repeatedly insisted he does not want to be identified as African American?
Yo Mike, calm down. Despite how you may view or hear it, it’s actually not a slur.
It’s difficult enough to believe (actually, impossible) that Hill has any impact whatsoever on pulling swing voters, period. If anything, people edging a toe into the aisle would most likely pull it back quick upon encountering Hill’s extremism.
But to think that voters with African American ancestry would be swayed by the opinion of somebody who won’t embrace sharing a common heritage? Sorry, not buying that.
As far as being consistent with his message and core values–on that we’ll agree. He’s consistent as a broken record. Which is why so many people are sick to death of listening to him pontificate while he consistently gets nothing done for his district but pummel his constituents and party leadership alike with the same messaging over and over, always from somewhere roundabout Mars.
Now *that* is truly a record of fails that remains unbroken.
I have known Rep Mike Hill for year’s he has been very consistent in his message and core value’s.. Mike is a doer, you can always count on his words. He will tell you straight whether he agree’s with you or not. Being a strong Christian man and family man is very important to America now.. Tep Mike as a conservative Black man sends an awesome message to the Community of color that work hard step out give it your best and great things happen. I see many Black folk’s stepping out and moving to the conservative side as they know Democrat’s have never helped them or done what their mouths promise them..Rep Mike Hill can be counted on..
People need to be asking themselves why the all the RINOs in the GOP and liberals downstate are donating to Andrade’s campaign. Gaetz is rumored to have spent $200k in this race to protect his dad, he doesn’t care about Andrade. When Dosev gets in office, he will make sure the BP Oil spill board (Triumph Gulf Coast) and Chairman Don Gaetz is audited to find out why they are holding our money and not approving any projects in Escambia County.
If Alex Andrade was that great of a Representative for D2, why does he need HELP from Matt Gaetz and Ron Desantis? Can’t make it on his own? obviously not. Well, Alex Andrade, you might want to really humble yourself (and not just tell people how humble you are) before you try and represent D2 like its South Florida. why would you vote for somebody who can’t earn his own votes?? just saying. Cris Dosev is the TRUE CONSERVATIVE in D2. If Alex was that good of a D2 Representative why does he have to lie, why cant he run on his own merits and not coattails of established politicians. I’m voting Cris Dosev the only real Pro life, Pro Conservative Pro constitution in the D2 race.
I have already voted for Michelle Salzman and encourage those that haven’t voted yet to vote for her. Mike Hill has done nothing FOR the people in his district, and it is high time we vote someone in who can bring home some of the tax dollars we continue to pay in. Vote for Michelle if you want to see change in how things get done in our District.
Thanks so much for this run-down Rick–very helpful. Especially this part:
“Incumbent Mike Hill’s campaign has been caught lying so many times that we’ve lost count. Still he has a lead in the race according to the polls we’ve seen. However, the margin over Michelle Salzman is only ranges from 5% to 7% and 20% of the vote is undecided. GOP leaders around the state are hoping Salzman will be pull this off.”
Values aside: DO YOU WANT SOME MONEY FINALLY COMING BACK TO DISTRICT 1 FOR A CHANGE? HOW ABOUT SOME ROAD FUNDING? MAYBE JUST *TRYING* BY ASKING FOR SOME MONEY FOR CONSTITUENT NEEDS?
If Mike Hill gets re-elected it will be the same results as always–a big, fat, nothing for the people he represents. Just self-righteous warm fuzzies for a percentage of the electorate who like to listen to a fake preacher warble rather than to hear reason and common-sense solutions.
**Michelle is a conservative through and through. Where she differs most from Mike is that she has the endorsement of so many conservative groups–including the Police Benevolent Association–because people are sick to death of Hill’s disingenuous pandering and know a born leader when they see one
Per the difference in the two candidates’ characters, it is just such a shame that a hypocrite running under a false cloak of being Godly is pulling out all the same dishonest stops he always does, with the deranged acolytes that function as his campaign team pushing bigotry, racism, intolerance of everything and everybody but their inner sanctum, and–how could they do without them?–LIES.
Oh, and I love how Mike thinks he’s going to get anywhere with his “dancing around” flyers. Really Mike? Wow. Wouldn’t you say that’s a hell of risk you’re running throwing stones from a glass house that’s already got plenty of cracks?
I would say that Michelle’s campaign has been nothing short of a miracle–except there’s no miracle required when a person works as hard as she does and has moral fiber that shines through in every context.
It’s really simple. If you espouse the party platform, then you can vote for either candidate–it’s a toss up.
But if you actually believe in traditional conservative values based on love and community rather than hate and division, then your only choice is Michelle.
And if you think it might be time for even of penny of our tax dollars to come back to District 1–for *results* from your representative–then you really have only one choice, and that’s Michelle.
Fail to get out to vote for Michelle Salzman, or worse yet vote for Hill, and we might all be in for another very long term of blowharding, hypocrisy, hate, and zero results.
It’s time for a change. Make your voice count and vote for somebody willing and able to get the job don