Republican T.K. Waters defeated Democrat Lakesha Burton in the runoff special election to become Jacksonville sheriff while incumbent GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis won re-election Nov. 8 against former U.S. Rep. and former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.
Waters, who has been the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office chief of investigations for seven years, won the election over retired Assistant Chief Burton by more than 10 points, according to unofficial results from the Duval County Supervisor of Elections Office.
Waters won 55.33% of the vote to Burton’s 44.67% with all 186 precincts reporting.
The runoff was a continuation of the Aug. 23 election where neither candidate received the required 50% plus one vote to secure the seat. In what was then a five-candidate field with three other Democrats in the race, Waters won 47% of the vote in August to Burton’s 33%, according to Daily Record news partner WJCT News 89.9 FM.
The sheriff’s seat was left vacant when former Sheriff Mike Williams retired after it came to light that he had moved his primary residence outside Duval County, first reported by the local nonprofit news website The Tributary.
Waters was endorsed by DeSantis in the race and had the backing of the local GOP, while Burton was able to gain support of some historically Republican donors like Jacksonville executive Gary Chartrand. JaxBiz, the political arm of Jax Chamber, endorsed both candidates.
Since it was a special election to fill the vacancy left by Williams, Waters will have to run again to defend the seat during the March 2023 election.
Governor
DeSantis was head of Crist by more than 19 points with 90.8% of the precincts reporting to secure a second term in a 59.47% to 39.9$ decision.
In Duval County, DeSantis received 55.68% of the vote after losing the area to Democrat and former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum in 2018.
Crist, a former Republican governor turned Democrat, received 43.44% in Duval while receiving 40% of the statewide vote.
DeSantis is widely expected by Florida and national political analysts and party insiders to consider a White House run in 2024.
Jacksonville City Council
Democrat Reggie Gaffney Jr. beat Republican Charles Barr in a special election for City Council District 7 to replace Gaffney Jr.’s father, Reggie Gaffney Sr.
Gaffney Jr. received 67.55% of the vote to Barr’s 32.45%.
The candidates were the top two in a six-way special August election. The district stretches from Downtown and the Eastside north to the Nassau County line. That geography could change as Council tries to comply with a federal court order to redraft the City Council District map because of what U.S. Judge Marcia Howard ruled was unconstitutional racial gerrymandering, according to The Tributary.
Gaffney Sr. resigned from his seat earlier this year to run for Florida Senate. He lost the primary to state Rep. Tracie Davis.
U.S. Senate
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R) won 58% to Val Demmings (D) 41% with 90.4% of the precincts statewide reporting.
U.S. House
District 4: Aaron Bean (R) won 61% to LaShonda Holloway (D) at 39% with 97.6% of the precincts reporting.
District 5: U.S. Rep. John Rutherford (R) won unopposed.
State Senate
District 4: Clay Yarborough won 67.8% to (R) Sharmin Smith (D) at 46.72% with 99% of precincts reporting.
District 5 Tracie Davis (D) won 57.26% to Binod Kumar (R) at 42.74% with 99.1% of the precincts reporting.
State Representative
District 12: Wyman Duggan (R) won unopposed.
District 13: Angie Nixon (D) won 70.65% to LaCiara Masline (No party affiliation) at 29.35% with 97.6% of the precincts reporting.
District 14: Kimberly Daniels (D) won unopposed.
District 16: Kiyan Michael (R) defeated two write-in candidates.
District 15: Dean Black (R) defeated a write-in candidate.
District 17: (R ) Jessica Baker won 61.22% to (D) Michael Anderson at 38.78%.
Statewide offices
Agriculture Commissioner: Wilton Simpson (R) won 59.42% to Naomi Blemur (D) at 40.58% with 87.3% of the precincts reporting.
Florida CFO: Jimmy Patronis (R) won 59.57% to Adam Hattersley (D) at 40.43% with 87.3% of the precincts reporting.
Attorney General: Ashley Moody (R) won 60.69% t0 Aramis Ayala (D) at 39.31% with 94.1% of the precincts reporting.
Judiciary
State Supreme Court: Retained were justices Charles T. Canady, John D. Couriel, Jamie Grosshans, Jorge Labarga and Ricky Polston.
First District Court of Appeal: Retained were judges Ross L. Bilbrey, Susan Kelsey, Bobby Long, Lori S. Rowe and Bo Winokur.
Additional sources: Duval County Supervisor of Elections; Florida State Attorney General Florida Election Watch; Daily Record news partner News4Jax.com.