Live updates: Key Primary Election results in Central Florida
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Election Results: Local election results for Central Florida – County by county
Central Florida chooses seven new circuit judges
Seven races for circuit judge were decided among the several circuits that cover Central Florida counties. Here are those election results.
In the Fifth Judicial Circuit, Nicole M. Morris, the chief assistant public defender in Citrus County, won the race for the Group 27 seat. Morris received 52.23% of the vote, defeating attorney Lisa Yeager. The Fifth Circuit covers five counties, including Marion, Lake and Sumter.
In the Seventh Judicial Circuit, long-serving Assistant State Attorney Jeanne Stratis defeated attorney Carleen Leffler. Stratis received 60.75% of the vote in the race for the Group 26 seat. This circuit consists of Flagler, St. Johns, Putnam and Volusia.
In the Ninth Judicial Circuit, covering Orange and Osceola counties, two circuit judge races were decided. Christina Arguelles received 65.19% of the vote to defeat Christie Lou Mitchell for the Group 2 seat. And in Group 31, Kamilah Perry received 58.76% to defeat Steve Kerestes.
In the 10th Judicial Circuit, which includes Polk County, there were two contests as well. Chris P. Spath received 65.17% of the vote to defeat Lakeisha Latoya Babers for Group 23. And in Group 24, Andrea DeMichael got 55.67% of the vote in defeating Candice Dixon.
Finally, in the 18th Judicial Circuit, covering Brevard and Seminole counties, Andrea Fant won the Group 13 seat with 56.27% of the vote. Her opponent was George Cole Gaspard.
Results of Central Florida races for state Legislature
Here's a quick roundup of state legislative races in Central Florida.
- Senate District 10: Democrat John Lowndes won his primary and will face incumbent Republican Jason Brodeur in November.
- House District 21: Democrat Jacquelyn "Jackie" Randall won outright in a universal primary.
- House District 24: Incumbent Republican Ryan Chamberlin won outright in a universal primary.
- House District 25: Incumbent Republican Taylor Yarkosky won his primary and will face Democrat Farmer Banks Helfrich.
- House District 31: Republican Matt Woodside won his primary and will face Democrat Daniel Lewis Cicirelli.
- House District 32: Incumbent Republican Robert Brackett sailed through his primary. He'll face Democrat Juan J. Hinojosa in November.
- House District 36: Incumbent Republican Rachel Plakon easily won her primary and will face Democrat Darryl Block.
- House District 39: Incumbent Republican Doug Bankson sailed through his primary. He'll face Democrat Jarod Fox in November.
- House District 43: Democrat Samuel Vilchez Santiago won his primary and will face Republican Jorge Malavet.
- House District 46: Incumbent Democrat Jose Alvarez won his primary. In November, he'll face Republican Michael Cruz and independent candidate Ivan A. Rivera.
- House District 47: Democrat Anthony Nieves won in a universal primary.
- House District 48: Republican Jonathan Albert won his primary and will face Democrat Alethea Pugh.
Results in universal primaries for Florida House
Three Florida House races in Central Florida were decided Tuesday in universal primaries, in which every voter can vote, regardless of party affiliation.
They are open primaries under the Florida Constitution because no other candidates outside the party are running.
In District 21, Democrat Jacquelyn "Jackie" Randall won with just under 28% of the vote in a crowded field.
In District 24, Republican Ryan Chamberlin retained his seat with about 62% of the vote.
In District 47, where incumbent Paula Stark failed to qualify, Democrat Anthony Nieves won with more than 53% of the vote.
Runoff for Orange County mayor: Messina and Moore Russell
The next mayor of Orange County will be selected in November. Orange County Clerk of Courts Tiffany Moore Russell and tech entrepreneur Chris Messina were the top two of four candidates in the race.
At a watch party at Lakeside Reception Hall on the shores of Lake Fairview, Moore Russell’s husband introduced her to the crowd, who welcomed her with cheers.
Moore Russell received 31.77% of the vote and Messina received 27.50%. While the race is nonpartisan, Moore Russell is a Democrat. Messina is a Republican.
Former Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy and Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe also ran for the post but did not qualify for the runoff.
Elijah now focused on November election after ousting Mills
“The goal is to win November,” said Ryan Elijah to a crowded room celebrating his victory on Primary Election night. In the front row was Seminole County resident Marcy Colter, a self-described Elijah super fan. Colter said Elijah is the ultimate candidate, a humble and Godly man.
“I go to all of Ryan’s events,” she said. “When I first met him, I felt my prayers were answered.”
Colter had previously campaigned for Rep. Cory Mills until controversies surrounding the representative began emerging.
“He completely lost all integrity,” she said.
After seeing Elijah win Tuesday’s primary, Colter, with tears in her eyes, lifted her arms into the air and cheered, with a renewed hope for the office.
Gallo wins Orange County School Board chair race
Angie Gallo won the race for Orange County School Board Chair with an unofficial total of 59.08% of the vote.
After anxiously awaiting results, supporters gathered around Gallo as she hoisted herself up onto a restaurant booth and gave an emotional speech, at times on the brink of tears, saying she’s ready for change.
The crowd cheered and chanted around her.
Gallo is an Orange County School Board member and faced fellow school board member Alicia Farrant.
Two other Orange County School were also decided, and a fourth is heading to a runoff:
- In District 1, Melissa Lopez Marantes defeated David Shepard, with 59.65% of the vote.
- In District 2, Gloria Reina O'Neal won with 57.46%, defeating Marisol Lugo.
- In District 3, Susanne Peña and Diana Moore are in a runoff.
>> Read the full story by education reporter Kayla Kissel.
- This post was updated with the complete, unofficial results.
Cory Mills falls to Ryan Elijah in Congress District 7 GOP primary
Embattled Congressman Cory Mills is out. He lost Tuesday in the Republican primary to former news anchor Ryan Elijah.
The Associated Press has called the race for Elijah. At 8:35 p.m., unofficial early results showed Elijah with 47.03% of the vote and Mills with 34.35% in a four person race for the GOP nomination.
The AP also called the Democratic primary for Bale Dalton, former chief of staff at NASA.
District 7 is in Seminole and Volusia counties north and east of Orlando.
Tiffany Moore Russell supporters celebrate as Orange County mayor’s race results come in
Energy was high at Tiffany Moore Russell's watch party at Lakeside Reception Hall on the shores of Lake Fairview.
With most precincts reporting, Moore Russell led the field of three others in the Orange County Mayor’s race.
People were line dancing and cheering in front of a big screen displaying the results coming in.
Moore Russell is the incumbent Orange County Clerk of Courts. She faces commission Mayra Uribe, former Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy and businessman Chris Messina.
>> Get the full story by Central Florida Public Media reporter Molly Duerig: Moore Russell, Messina will compete for Orange County mayor in November runoff.
Governor, U.S. Senate primaries decided
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds won the Republican nomination for Florida governor and former Rep. David Jolly won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday, setting the stage for a November contest to replace outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis.
State Rep. Angie Nixon won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, defeating Alex Vindman. She will face Sen. Ashley Moody, who won the Republican nomination. They are competing in a special election to finish the final two years of Marco Rubio's term, who became secretary of state.
>> Read Donalds claims GOP primary victory in gubernatorial race by Central Florida Media's elections reporter Sam Stockbridge.
Elijah supporters hopeful as early results come in
At a watch party in Sanford, supporters of former Fox35 anchor Ryan Elijah are hopeful he might unseat incumbent Congressman Cory Mills in Florida’s CD-7 Republican Primary.
Central Florida resident Aria Gmitter says she's here tonight because of how impressive she found Elijah during the debate earlier this month, especially with how respectful and diplomatic he was.
When asked about Mills, she said "I feel like candidates need to take into consideration their personal stances, their personal lives. They're not just politicians. They're models of behavior for society."
>> What did Ryan Elijah have to say? Read Central Florida reporter Joe Mario Pedersen's report: Incumbent Cory Mills defeated; Ryan Elijah wins primary.
Angie Gallo supporters excited after early results
Amongst the crowd at the Angie Gallo election night party at Azteca D’Oro in Orlando are teachers, students and members of advocacy groups like Equality Florida. Once early vote numbers were announced, the crowd cheered and chanted, “Angie!”
She was leading by about 9 percentage points in early returns.
Other school board members, like Maria Salamanca, have joined Gallo in waiting for the final results.
Gallo is running against fellow board member Alicia Farrant for Orange County School Board chair.
Former Mills voter throws support to challenger in CD-7 Republican Primary
In Florida’s 7th Congressional District primary contest, a watch party for Republican Ryan Elijah is beginning to fill up just after polls closed.
At Decision Tactical in Sanford, 36-year-old Harrison Hodges of Lake Mary says he's here to support Elijah because he is opinionated, charismatic and has the best chance to defeat the Democrats in November.
Incumbent Congressman Cory Mills is hoping to remain the party nominee, but he’s been the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation over allegations of dating violence and campaign finance violations.
Hodges once voted for Cory Mills but can't do so again.
"Cory Mills brought his problems to work,” he said. “He's not the kind of representative I value. I'm embarrassed to have him represent our community."
Music and mingling at the Donalds party
The Byron Donalds election night playlist is an eclectic mix of patriotic and dance party vibes.
Here's a sampling:
- Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA"
- Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue"
- Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama"
- Post Malone and Swae Lee's "Sunflower"
- Journey's "Don't Stop Believing"
- Pit Bull and Ne-Yo’s “Time of Our Lives”
But the crowd isn’t dancing, just mingling, snacking and sipping beverages.
Crowd gathers for Donalds election night event in Orlando
People are beginning to arrive at the Byron Donalds election night event in Orlando.
Congressman Donalds, who has President Trump's endorsement, is one of 11 candidates for the Republican nomination for governor. He has led by wide margins in all the recent polls.
His event is at Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando.
As of 6:15 p.m. scores of supporters were spread around the hall and more milled hallways outside. Three rows of video cameras were set up on a riser and dozens of journalists were waiting for the party to get started.
Voting at UCF
Outside the Live Oak Event Center at UCF Tuesday morning, Aija Diaz, a precinct monitor with Engage Florida, said the primary is an "overlooked election."
“And this is the election that decides who's going to be on the ballot in November," Diaz added.
"I'm also just noticing a lot of lost faith in our government," Diaz said. "And I'm just trying to make sure that there are people here who feel supported and can have those questions answered. And also just because a lot of the work that I do involves voter registration and talking to young voters."
Diaz has observed voter apathy and the belief that there's no reason to vote.
"But there always is a reason to vote," Diaz said. "And their voice matters, and you have to remind them that."
Diaz also cited confusion on campus, "because the early voting location was the Barbara Ying Center, and the election day voting location is the Live Oak Center."
As of about 2:45 p.m., turnout was a dismal 7.5% at the Live Oak Event Center. At the end of July, there were 456 voters in that precinct. A total of 34 had voted, including 20 on election day.
It was better at another precinct in the UCF area. At the Best Western Plus Orlando East, 494 had voted, including 83 on election day.
Free bus rides to the polls in Volusia County
In Volusia County without a car? The Supervisor of Elections Office wants you to know you still have a way to get to your polling place:
“Our friends at Votran, Volusia County’s public transit system, are offering free rides to the polls when you show your voter information card,” the office announced on Facebook.
To find the routes, go to Votran.org.
Polls close at 7 p.m.
Sumter leads again in voter turnout
The Central Florida for voter turnout is, as usual, Sumter County. That's where you'll find much of The Villages, America's largest retirement community.
As of 2:30 p.m., Sumter County led all the other Central Florida counties and the statewide average by at least 10 percentage points. About 31% of voters had cast their ballots.
You can follow the Sumer County turnout numbers here:
Orange County at midday: No problems reported
Blake Summerlin, spokesperson for the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office, said that so far they haven't heard of any problems with the primary.
Election Day turnout for the county is at more than 23,000, bringing overall turnout to just over 17% so far. That means they're probably going to do better than their primary turnout in at least one of the previous primaries.
Statewide perspective from the News Service of Florida
Polling places opened across Florida at 7 a.m. in Tuesday’s primary elections, after nearly two million ballots had already been cast by mail and in early voting.
As of Tuesday morning, the state Division of Elections reported that about 1.15 million people had voted by mail.
More than 818,000 ballots were cast through in-person early voting, which ended over the weekend.
Among votes cast prior to election day, registered Republicans outpaced Democrats by about 60,000 votes.
Secretary of State Cord Byrd said no problems were reported as polling locations opened, adding that voters still have time to cast their ballots.
“The people who are going to make it to the general ballot are those who are going to get elected during the primary," he said. "Right now, we’re less than 20 percent statewide. I would encourage people to get to the polls. It’s hard to complain, when you don’t go vote.”
Democrats led Republicans in voting by mail, while members of the GOP dominated Democrats in early voting.
The state will start posting results at 8 p.m. Eastern time after polls close in the Panhandle, which is on Central time.
Applause for the No. 1 voter
Sheslie Canales Miranda was the first person to cast a vote at the downtown Orlando precinct at the Broadway United Methodist Church.
"My experience was great," she said. "The place is well-kept, the volunteers are in a cheery mood even at 7 in the morning, and I got like a round of applause for being the first one in, so that was awesome, too."
The self-described LGBTQ advocate and Puerto Rican said she voted for candidates who would "support our rights."
What would Susan B. Anthony say?
Floridians are going to the polls today for the Primary Election. One of those voters, outside the First Baptist Church in Ocala, was 78-year-old Dee Collier
Collier said she put in the work researching Republican candidates for governor and County Commission. She does historical re-enactments of famous and infamous women in history, including Susan B. Anthony, who fought for women's right to vote.
Collier said Anthony would tell Florida voters to, "Get your butt in there and vote." And to women who don't vote she would say:
"You are missing an opportunity. And if you don't vote, who knows? Maybe they'll take this opportunity away from the rest of us. Get out there and vote."
Among the primary's key races are the governorship, federal offices and numerous local elections, including nonpartisan judicial and school board races.
For those heading out to vote ...
If you're one of the many Floridians who's waited until the last chance to vote in the primary election, here's what you need to know.
The primary election doesn’t just decide party nominees. In several local elections in Florida, the primary is where voters will decide school board, municipal, judicial and county council races. They'll vote on whether to amend the Kissimmee charter to change rules on term limits and background checks.
On Election Day itself, voters must go to their local polling place. You can find that location on the voter information card that you got in the mail or on the county supervisor of elections website.
If you don’t drive, there are free rideshare groups like VoteRun that connect voters to polls on election day.
Polls close 7 p.m.
For more practical information about voting today, read Sam Stockbridge's report: What to know when you vote in the Florida primaries.
- Central Florida Public Media