Altman, Delaney and Adkinson win GOP primaries County Commission seats
The County Commission could see some new faces and one older one after the Republican primary results were decided Tuesday.
Three Republican primaries that could decide the future of the Brevard Board of County Commissioners were decided Tuesday night when voters chose the candidates who will represent the party in the Nov. 5 election this year.
In a heavily Republican county, the party's primaries often decide who wins in a general election against Democrats.
In both Districts 3 and 5, heavy hitters in the Republican party won their respective primaries, with Rep. Thad Altman winning in District 5 and Republican committeewoman Kim Adkinson in District 3. Meanwhile in North Brevard, Katie Delaney became the nominee over better known politicians.
Brevard County election results 2024
Delaney wins four-way Republican primary for District 1
In the night's biggest upset, conservative activist Katie Delaney bested Titusville Mayor Dan Diesel and former Titusville city councilman and School Board member Robert Jordan, along with Mims community activist Dwight Seigler.
Delaney got 5,514 (47.7%) votes Tuesday. Diesel came in second with 3,696 votes (31.7%), followed by Jordan with 2,109 (18.1%) and Seigler at 342 (2.9%)
Delaney in the past year has been a mainstay at county commission meetings, often engaging in verbal sparring matches with commission chair Jason Steele who is vacating his seat this year. Her run was in part motivated by a desire to change how citizens engage with the commission.
"I think the Republican voters of District 1 want someone to really represent them. Our job as elected officials is to be the voice of the people," Delaney said. "I think this is a huge statement that the people are done with how things have been."
Delaney said she looks forward to the opportunity to fight for North Brevard and make sure they are just as represented as the rest of the county.
Following Tuesday's results, Delaney will face a Democrat, former Keep Brevard Beautiful Executive Director Bryan Bobbitt, and a Libertarian candidate, activist and former Titusville City Council candidate Nathan Slusher, in the Nov. 5 general election.
The winner will take over the seat from Rita Pritchett who left office this year due to term limits and lost a race for tax collector against incumbent Lisa Cullen.
District 1 includes North Brevard, including Cocoa, Port St. John, Titusville and Mims.
Adkinson edges Dittmore in District 3
Republican state committeewoman Kim Adkinson narrowly defeated West Melbourne city councilman John Dittmore to take the District 3 seat representing much of Melbourne, Indialantic, West Melbourne and Palm Bay on the county commission.
Adkinson secured 5,188 votes to (50.7%) Dittmore's 5,036 (49.3%).
The District 3 seat is currently represented by John Tobia, who cannot run again due to term limits.
Trying to stay in county politics, Tobia ran and lost a primary race to unseat Tim Bobanic for the county's Supervisor of Elections office.
Adkinson will now go on to face Democrat Yvonne Minus, a Melbourne City Councilwoman in the Nov. 5 general election
District 3 includes West Melbourne, Palm Bay, South Brevard County and the south beaches.
District 5 sees Altman beat Workman
Rep. Thad Altman won a decisive victory over Ritch Workman in the Republican primary for the County Commission District 5 seat.
With all of the votes counted, Altman won emphatically with just over 70% of the vote, tallying 7,145 votes to Workman's 2,907.
Altman will go on to face Democrat Vinnie Taranto in the general election on Nov. 5.
Altman, who has served in both the Florida House and Senate, is not new to county-level government, Altman previously sat on the District 5 seat for two terms from 1984 to 1992.
Altman currently represents District 32 in the Florida House of Representatives, but cannot seek reelection to that seat because of term limits.
Current District 5 commissioner Jason Steele is finishing out his term after being selected by Gov. Ron Desantis to replace former Commissioner Kristine Zonka last year, when she was chosen to run the Department of Health in Brevard County.
Steele currently is the chair of the County Commission.
District 5 includes the towns of Palm Bay, Indialantic, Melbourne Village, West Melbourne and Melbourne.
Tyler Vazquez is the Brevard County and North Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Republican primaries could bring changes to three seats on Brevard commission in 2024 election
