Escambia County still does not know who the District 4 county commissioner will be as we head into Wednesday. Incumbent Republican Ashlee Hofberger leads NPA Joe Vinson by only three votes: Hofbeger 13,020 to Vinson 13,017.
- Vinson opened Election night with a lead when Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender first released the Early Voting and Vote-by-Mail totals (Vinson 54%-Hofberger 46%), but that lead gradually evaporated as the District 4 precincts were tallied.
As late as 7:35 p.m., Vinson had a 32-vote lead, but we got word the the Supervisor of Elections’ office had about 200 mail ballots that needed to be tallied. That’s when the Hofberger jumped into the lead by 11 votes. PNJ & WEAR TV are reporting there are 400 more ballots that need to be tallied. I will have an interview with Bender later this morning.
By the Numbers
As of 12:28 a.m., Hofberger won 9 precincts and Vinson won 10:
- Hofberger (9): 30, 42, 51, 58, 91, 94, 97, 108, 110
- Vinson (10): 35, 40, 41, 46, 49, 64, 72, 88, 106, 107
Hofberger’s wins include several close ones (30, 42, 51 and 108 were each decided by 56 votes or fewer), and she also won the two most lopsided precincts, 94 (Pensacola Beach) and 110 (Pensacola Christian). Vinson’s wins were more consistent across the middle of the map. That is how he won more precincts yet trails by only three votes overall in the spreadsheet’s totals.
| Precinct | Ashlee Hofberger (REP) | Joe Vinson (NPA) | Total Votes | Hofberger % | Vinson % | |
| 30 | VICKREY RESOURCE CENTER | 734 | 722 | 1,456 | 50.41% | 49.59% |
| 35 | Heights Baptist Church | 567 | 648 | 1,215 | 46.67% | 53.33% |
| 40 | BAYVIEW COMMUNITY CENTER | 551 | 849 | 1,400 | 39.36% | 60.64% |
| 41 | BAYVIEW COMMUNITY CENTER | 338 | 621 | 959 | 35.25% | 64.75% |
| 42 | HILLCREST CHURCH | 663 | 632 | 1,295 | 51.20% | 48.80% |
| 46 | TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | 789 | 930 | 1,719 | 45.90% | 54.10% |
| 49 | ASBURY PLACE | 212 | 308 | 520 | 40.77% | 59.23% |
| 51 | PENSACOLA LODGE #42 F&AM | 1,049 | 1,018 | 2,067 | 50.75% | 49.25% |
| 58 | BRIT AHM MESSIANIC SYNAGOGUE | 581 | 506 | 1,087 | 53.45% | 46.55% |
| 64 | ASBURY PLACE | 682 | 917 | 1,599 | 42.65% | 57.35% |
| 72 | BAYVIEW COMMUNITY CENTER | 429 | 527 | 956 | 44.87% | 55.13% |
| 88 | OLIVE BAPTIST CHURCH | 579 | 628 | 1,207 | 47.97% | 52.03% |
| 91 | OLIVE BAPTIST CHURCH | 1,101 | 916 | 2,017 | 54.59% | 45.41% |
| 94 | PENSACOLA BEACH COMM CHURCH | 1,112 | 538 | 1,650 | 67.39% | 32.61% |
| 97 | VICKREY RESOURCE CENTER | 900 | 765 | 1,665 | 54.05% | 45.95% |
| 106 | HOLY CROSS EPISCOPAL CHURCH | 465 | 504 | 969 | 47.99% | 52.01% |
| 107 | FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH | 857 | 930 | 1,787 | 47.96% | 52.04% |
| 108 | HOLY CROSS EPISCOPAL CHURCH | 994 | 938 | 1,932 | 51.45% | 48.55% |
| 110 | PENSACOLA CHRISTIAN COLLEGE | 417 | 120 | 537 | 77.65% | 22.35% |
| Total | 13,020 | 13,017 | 26,037 | 50.01% | 49.99% |
Recount
In Florida, a margin of 0.5% or less of the total votes cast triggers a mandatory recount. It operates in two stages:
- Machine recount: A machine recount must be ordered if the first set of unofficial returns shows that a candidate was defeated by 0.5% or less of the total votes cast for the office,
- Manual recount: If the second set of unofficial returns, which includes the machine recount, shows a margin of 0.25% or less, a manual recount must be ordered. This hand recount covers only the overvotes and undervotes set aside during the machine recount, not every ballot.
Supervisor of Elections’ office will also review all provisional ballots (205 votes).
Escambia County Results
| Race | Precincts Reporting | Choice | Party | Votes | % of Race |
| State Representative District 1 | 41 / 41 | Michelle Salzman | REP | 37,941 | 59.59% |
| State Representative District 1 | 41 / 41 | Francesca Yabraian | DEM | 25,727 | 40.41% |
| State Representative District 2 | 43 / 43 | Jon Fay | REP | 26,988 | 52.54% |
| State Representative District 2 | 43 / 43 | Johnny Austin Thompson | DEM | 24,382 | 47.46% |
| County Commissioner District 2 | 16 / 16 | Mike Kohler | REP | 10,034 | 56.18% |
| County Commissioner District 2 | 16 / 16 | Mathious D. Robinson | DEM | 7,770 | 43.50% |
| County Commissioner District 2 | 16 / 16 | Write-in: Not Assigned | NON | 58 | 0.32% |
| County Commissioner District 4 | 19 / 19 | Ashlee Hofberger | REP | 13,020 | 50.01% |
| County Commissioner District 4 | 19 / 19 | Joe Vinson | NPA | 13,017 | 49.99% |
| Emerald Coast Utilities Authority D 2 | 16 / 16 | Lois Benson | REP | 10,201 | 58.23% |
| Emerald Coast Utilities Authority District 2 | 16 / 16 | Gloria G. Horning | IND | 7,318 | 41.77% |
| Emerald Coast Utilities Authority D 4 | 19 / 19 | Greg Litton | REP | 14,016 | 53.56% |
| Emerald Coast Utilities Authority District 4 | 19 / 19 | Jacob Cavender | DEM | 10,629 | 40.62% |
| Emerald Coast Utilities Authority District 4 | 19 / 19 | Ralph H. Schofield Jr. | NPA | 1,524 | 5.82% |
| Pensacola City Council District 2 | 2 / 2 | Charles Bare | NON | 1,130 | 45.60% |
| Pensacola City Council District 2 | 2 / 2 | Sherri Myers | NON | 1,348 | 54.40% |
| Pensacola City Council District 4 | 3 / 3 | Brian Cole | NON | 1,745 | 48.53% |
| Pensacola City Council District 4 | 3 / 3 | Boyce White | NON | 1,851 | 51.47% |
| County Referendum (one-cent sales tax) | 80 / 80 | FOR the one-cent sales tax | NON | 84,178 | 74.96% |
| County Referendum (one-cent sales tax) | 80 / 80 | AGAINST the one-cent sales tax | NON | 28,123 | 25.04% |