GOP:
Scarborough wins most precincts, but can’t overcome huge Ford turnout in Gulf Breeze (62%) and Pensacola Christian College (74%). So the Scarborough political organization got votes across the district, but none of it could overcome the GB bloc.
A big question is what happened to Scarborough’s and Tom Banjanin’s support at PCC. Both thought they would get a larger share of that vote.
Scarborough could have won PCC and still lost to Ford.
Credit GB votes to Ford’s years on the Gulf Breeze City Council – which many citizens believe is the best gov’t board in the area – and the overwhelming support from the GB Rotary members like Steve Zieman, Ed Gray, Lane Gilchrist, etc.
Banjanin’s political career is over.
Hart placed third -The businessman message didn’t play well in GB (getting only 55 votes). Attacking Ford was definitely the wrong move and trying to label him as a tax and spend politician.
As I wrote in the beginning, I said Clay Ford knew how to campaign and would be the dark horse candidate. The lack of broad support was offset by his dominance in his home precinct. He beat the odds and upset the favorite.