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Election 2012

Benacquisto, Jordan face off for Dist. 30 state senate seat

One candidate is the deputy majority leader in the state senate, the other is a longtime Fort Myers resident with ties to the community.Democrat Debbie Jordan will attempt to unseat current 27th District Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, a Republican, on Nov. 6 in the new 30th District.* Debbie JordanAge: 54Home: Fort MyersOccupation: business ownerDebbie Jordan has lived, worked and brought up her children in Lee County. She knows what it's like to struggle and work with other people.And she believes that is what makes her the better candidate to represent the 30th District in the state ...

Write-in candidates do not appear on ballot by name

They are relegated to a single line on the General Election ballot, without even their name to identify them.They are write-in candidates.Statistically, they don't have much chance of emerging victorious.Frequently, they serve more of a function during the primaries than in November.But they are candidates and so develop the face of the races on the ballot."They're like shadows," said Supervisor of Elections Sharon Harrington. "They're there or not there. It depends on the light you shine on them."The rules to get onto the ballot are simple. Fill out a form during the qualifying ...

Voters have much to consider going forward

Lee County Supervisor of Elections Sharon Harrington has some advice for voters when they go to the ballot box on Nov. 6.When you get your sample ballot by mail, don't throw it away. You may need it to wade your way through the series of choices.Not only will voters have to decide on a president, but also a U.S. Senator, U.S. Rep., state senators and reps, county reps, local reps, and numerous resolutions.All told, Harrington said voters should expect to see four pages -front and back - of ballot items. Only the first page will have the candidates."We encourage voters to mark their ...

Eagle plans to stay positive

With a primary victory under his belt, Dane Eagle plans to stay positive in his quest to represent the 77th District in the State House.Eagle cruised to an easy win Tuesday over Chris Berardi in the Republican primary. He will now face Democrat Arvella M. Clare in the general election Nov. 6.Eagle, a real estate broker, won by an almost 3-1 margin, 72 percent to 28 percent."Obviously the polls speak for themselves. We did it through hard work and by staying positive, not negative," Eagle said. "When we started in November we were 10 points behind."Berardi, a former Cape Coral city ...

Radel: It’s time to come together

Trey Radel, who emerged first in the six-candidate Republican primary for the congressional seat that became available when Rep. Connie Mack decided to run for U.S. Senate, is looking to consolidate support."I ran against great men. I was proud to stand with them in forums and debate the few issues we disagreed on," Radel said. "Now, it's time to come together."Radel took 29.98 percent of the vote in a district that covers Collier and Lee counties, outpacing runner-up Chauncey Porter Goss (21.51 percent) as well as Paige Kreegel (17.7 percent), Cape Coral's Gary Aubuchon (15.49 percent), ...

Surprise winners top elections

Lee County Republicans ousted a long-time county commissioner, swept in a Republican nominee with no political experience as their Congressional choice and went for experience in three constitutional offices Tuesday.Fort Myers Beach Mayor Larry Kiker upset incumbent Ray Judah, who has held the District 3 seat on the Lee County Commission since 1988.Kiker culled 36,614 votes, or nearly 64 percent to Judah's 20,658.Kiker will now face Charlie Whitehead, who is running without party affiliation in the General Election in November."I'd be lying to you if I couldn't tell you this is not ...