Pasco municipal voters pick their community leaders
Pasco County’s city and town residents were out at the polls Tuesday, choosing both leaders with experience and some new to politics, with the race in the town of St. Leo being decided by just one vote.
In the high-profile race for the Group 4 seat on the Dade City Commission, Steven Van Gorden could not overcome years-old sexual harassment accusations and the resulting revocation of his teaching credentials. Instead, it was challenger Kristin Church who took the seat, earning 62% of the vote.
Van Gorden had been the principal of Zephyrhills High School, mayor of Zephyrhills and in leadership positions with the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club and had previously served on the Dade City Commission. He stepped down from the positions he held when the investigative report was released.
When he made a pitch to take the vacated Group 4 seat earlier this year, he argued that he was not the same person anymore and had been “born again,” but commissioners at the time did not vote him into the seat.
Church is a political newcomer who lists her professional experience as an education compliance analyst, prosecuting attorney and public school teacher.
In the other Dade City Commission race, Jim Shive easily won reelection to the Group 3 seat over Lucinda “Lucy” Uribe.
The race for the two available seats on the Zephyrhills City Council each pitted an incumbent against a challenger. Both incumbents easily won reelection. In Seat 3, Jodi Wilkeson won over Sam Turgeon, and in Seat 5, Charles Proctor beat Manny Funes.
In New Port Richey, five candidates were seeking the two available seats. Incumbent Matt Murphy was successful in winning one of those spots, and the other went to Bertell Butler IV over hopefuls Lewis Curtwright, Dell deChant and Thomas O’Neill.
The Port Richey City Council race featured three available seats, two for three-year terms and one for a one-year term. The three-year terms went to newcomers David Mueller and Robert Hubbard, leaving incumbent Thomas Kinsella behind. The one-year term went to Cherokee Sampson, who overtook Sheri Sharer.
In San Antonio, incumbents John Vogel II and Caitlin Bolender each won another term on the City Commission, and challenger Blaze Drinkwine took the third available seat over David Rios and Jorge Varino II.
The St. Leo Town Commission had just one contested seat, and Tory England ended up with 19 votes, just one more than incumbent William Hamilton. Since recounts are triggered by percentage, that was not enough to require a recount. There are 114 registered voters in St. Leo.
There were also no outstanding ballot issues in that race to require a decision by the county’s canvassing board, which would not meet until Thursday, allowing Pasco Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley to call the race in England’s favor an hour and a half after polls closed.
“This races is exhibit A for just how close a race can be and epitomizes that every vote counts,” Corley said.
