No Political Resurrection
The voters were not interested in the political resurrections of Ron McNesby or Buck Lee.
Lee, the former manager of the Santa Rosa Island Authority, served on the Escambia Board of County Commissioner and Santa Rosa BCC during the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Santa Rosa voters rejected him when he ran for Clerk of Courts and Supervisor of Elections. Now Escambia County has decide his retirement years are best spent hunting and cheering for Ole Miss football.
McNesby called his loss to David Morgan a “fluke” eight years ago. In 2008, as a two-term incumbent sheriff, McNesby only got 43 percent of the vote, after spending $139,068.86. This time, Ronnie Mac spent $84,662.37 for 14.6 percent.
Escambia County’s power triumvirate of the 2000’s has lost all of its elections since 2008: George Touart– 2010 BCC 595 votes, 11.31 percent; Mike Whitehead– 2008 BCC: 1,129 votes, 19.20 percent and 2012 Tax Collector: 44,799 votes, 31.17 percent; and Ron McNesby-2016 Sheriff 5,174 votes, 14.63 percent.
Tallahassee Didn’t Want Hill Back
State Rep. Mike Hill had a campaign strategy that worked well for him in 2013. He immediately come out with negative ads and mailers attacking his fellow conservative State Rep. Doug Broxson.
As it did in 2013 against Ed Gary and Jack Nobles, the bashing worked. Hill jumped out to a 19-pt. lead over Broxson, according to some media reports. The plan was for Hill then to go to Tallahassee and convince Florida Senate leaders and the PACs that they were backing the wrong candidate and they should support him.
Tallahassee leaders didn’t just say “No.†They said, “ Hell No!â€
Gov. Rick Scott, Florida Chamber and the NRA came out big for Broxson. Their message was that Broxson could be trusted. The implication was Hill could not. Mailer and radio and TV ads hammered home the message.
Broxson won all three counties in District 1.
You Can’t Beat the Governor
Mike Hill told Gov. Rick Scott that he would support the governor’s Florida Enterprise Fund. Then he reneged without telling Scott.
Gov. Scott is very popular in Northwest Florida, where the fund would have been very helpful in attracting jobs to the area. The governor has a long memory.
The last time a sitting governor got involved in a local race was when Gov. Jeb Bush made sure DeeDee Ritchie (now Davis) lost her race against Durrell Peaden for the same Florida Senate seat in 2000.
Complaints had no impact
Complaints to the state attorney about Sheriff David Morgan’s ad in the Tate High yearbook and his LET expenditures had no impact. Morgan won by over 60 percent of the vote.
The same was true in the other races where complaints were registered about residency, missing signs and PACs. The voters didn’t care. Local elections are won in the trenches – knocking on doors and manning polling places.
Hill’s homestead investigation created problems only because he was slow to provide documentation and was trying to figure out how to explain why his legal residence on Pensacola Beach was not the permanent residence of his wife and daughter.
Expect No Changes at ECUA or School District
All the incumbents on the Emerald Coast Utility Board and School Board are returning. Superintendent Malcolm Thomas got his candidate, Kevin Adams, elected to replace Jeff Bergosh. Status quo, sigh.