The first round is over but nothing is decided, so voters will again be asked to return to the polls March 29 to identify two new City Council members and the new Supervisor of Elections.
With a small turnout of only 10.7 percent of registered voters, the runoff could generate even fewer voters, according to elections officials.
It was a split for the two City Council members who relinquished their seats to run for the elections office as Jerry Holland led the ballot with about 38 percent. But Faye Rustin could do no better than fourth at 11 percent.
Holland will meet Warren Jones in the runoff. Jones, also a former City Council president, got 21 percent.
Holland’s old seat, which includes the city side of the Intracoastal Waterway and extends into the Southside, will come down to either Eric Smith, a former two-time Council president, or developer Ronnie Fussell, who used to work in the mayor’s office. Smith took 41 percent, Fussell 32 percent.
Rustin’s old seat, an at-large slot which allows a countywide vote, will be contested by Scott Shine (42 percent) and Richard Clark (32 percent.)
Two of the there races will include party battles: Smith is a Democrat against the Republican Fussell; Holland is a Republican against the Democrat Jones. Both Shine and Clark are Republicans.
The campaign’s “outsider” candidate, former Jacksonville Community Council Inc. director Lois Chepenik, finished third in the elections race with 17 percent despite a fervid group of supporters who helped her raise about $110,000, second only to Holland ($150,000) in her race and third (Fussell got $140,000) of any candidate on Tuesday’s ballot.
Other candidates:
Elections: Talk show host Andy Johnson was fifth with 11 percent and former police officer Lem Sharp jr. had two percent.
Council at-large: John Draper had 11 percent followed by Ray Pringle with 8, Tim Carter with 5 and Bob Taylor at 3.
Council District 3: Former Duval Council Republican Party chair Mike Hancock had 23 percent and Tom Sellers had 3 percent.