Larizza squeaks by Tanner in State Attorney race with most of the votes counted

Dwayne Taylor takes Democratic primary for Cusack seat

By Beacon staff
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Aug 26, 2008 - 10:34:44pm

The race between incumbent John Tanner and challenger R.J. Larizza for state attorney of the 7th Judicial Circuit may be the biggest surprise in the Aug. 26 primary election, with Larizza the apparent winner and the two candidates just a few thousand votes apart in the four counties that make up the circuit.

With all but provisional and absentee ballots counted in Putnam, Flagler, Volusia and St. Johns counties, Larizza had 44,858 votes or 51.8 percent, and Tanner had 41,680 or 48.2 percent.

That's a difference of 3,178 votes.

Other races were more decisive.

With 100 percent of the precincts counted, including both touch-screen and optical-scan ballots, and only provisional and other unscanned ballots not in the tally, here are the results:

Representative to U.S. Congress for District 7

DEMOCRAT — Faye Armitage

Faye Armitage beat out Clyde Malloy by healthy margin.

Districtwide, Armitage won with 17,980 votes, or 62.99 percent, to Malloy's 10,142 votes, or 36.1 percent.

In Volusia County, Armitage received 63.9 percent of the vote.

In the Nov. 4 general election, Armitage will face incumbent District 7 Rep. John Mica, a Republican.

Representative to U.S. Congress for District 24

DEMOCRAT — Susan Kosmas

Susan Kosmas beat Clint Curtis in the Democratic primary by landside.

Kosmas had 18,664 votes districtwide, and Curtis had 7,129.

In Volusia County, Kosmas received 82.38 percent of the vote.

Kosmas will face Republican Tom Feeney, the incumbent, in the general election in November.

REPUBLICAN — Tom Feeney

Feeney won the Republican primary by a large margin. Districtwide, Feeney took 27,021 votes; challenger Jason Davis received 8,273.

In Volusia County, Feeney won 70.97 percent of the Volusia County votes

Feeney will face Democrat Susan Kosmas in the general election Nov. 4.

Representative to the Florida Legislature for District 27

DEMOCRATS — Dwayne Taylor

In the race to replace Joyce Cusack of DeLand in the Florida House, Dwayne Taylor won the Democratic primary with 39.48 percent of the vote.

Challenger Terry Dilligard Sr. had 1,759 votes, or 33.31 percent, while Jake Ross had 1,437, or 27.21 percent; Taylor had 2,085 votes.

Representative to the Florida Legislature for District 21

REPUBLICANS — Charles Van Zant

Van Zant was District 21 voters' choice. They gave him 3,851 votes districtwide, or 41.8 percent, to Chris France's 3,274 (35.5 percent) and Patricia Freeman's 2,094 votes (2.7 percent).

In the Volusia County part of the district, Van Zant won 43.08 percent of the vote.

Van Zant will face Democrat Linda Meyers on Nov. 4.

West Volusia Hospital Authority Seat 1

It appears there will be a runoff in the Hospital Authority race.

Tracy Lunquist needed more than 50 percent to win the seat. With only provisional and unscanned ballots to be counted, Lunquist had 43.64 percent of the 9,487 votes cast in the race; Adams received 36.58 percent, and Voloria Manning trailed with 19.78 percent.

Since no candidate got more than 50 percent of the vote, Lunquist and Adams will be on the ballot Nov. 4.

Volusia Soil and Water Conservation District Group 2

Michele Moen won with 53.61 percent of the vote.

Of the 33,588 ballots, Moen received 18,005 votes, while challenger Earl Ziebarth received 10,688 votes, and Christopher Lyszczarz received 4,895.

County Council District 2

It appears Joshua Wagner and Nancy Epps will be in a runoff Nov. 4.

Wagner received 2,403 votes, or 29.14 percent. Nancy Epps followed closely with 2,037 votes, or 24.7 percent of the votes.

Jim Wetherell was in third place, with 1,962 votes, or 23.79 percent. Paul A. Carpenella was in fourth place, with 1,292 votes or 15.67 percent. Tyrone Brown received 389 votes, or 4.72 percent, and Robert Worobec received 163 votes, or 1.98 percent.

State Attorney — RJ Larizza

The battle was close on both the state and Volusia County levels.

Incumbent John Tanner started out with a narrow lead on challenger RJ Larizza. At one point, on the state level, the two candidates were 50-50 with only 10 votes separating them in Larizza's favor.

Larizza took the lead and narrowly won with 44,858 votes, or 51.8 percent, to Tanner's 41,680 votes, or 48.2 percent.

Check updated results at the Volusia County Elections Office Web site.

Check updated results on the state level at Florida Department of State — Elections results.

Read more about the candidates in The Beacon's Vote 2008 section.

— info@beacononlinenews.com

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