Grassroots Campaigns Champion Primary Election

POLITICAL EXPERTS SAY REGARDLESS OF PARTY AFFILIATION, WINNING CANDIDATES SEEM TO HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON. THERE. WILLL ESTABLISHED IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. VOTERS APPEARING TO VALUE THE LOCAL CONNECTIONS OVER HOW MUCH MONEY WAS SPENT CAMPAIGNING. 10 CANDIDATES RAN FOR THE GOP NOMINATION IN THE RACE FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. 19 REPORTEDLY SPENDING AT LEAST 9 MILLION DOLLARS BUT VOTERS RALLY TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSMEN AND RESIDENT TIM SHORTT SOUL INSTEAD OF THE TRUMP ENDORSED CANDIDATE CATALINA LAUGH. FOR MORE ON THE PRIMARY RESULTS FROM LOCAL RACES. >> I'M JOINED BY FGCU POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR DOCTOR SANDRA PAVELKA. >> AND WGCU HOST AND REPORTER JOHN DAVIS. WELCOME THIS MORNING. THANK YOU. THANKS. GREAT TO BE HERE. SO WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THE GOP NOMINATION FOR THE HOUSE SEAT? 19 ATTEMPTS OR TO WINNING TAKING THAT HOME. >> WISTERIA NO SURPRISE THAT ALL GYMS FOR TOOL IS A BUSINESSMAN, LOCAL COMMUNITY MAN. THAT WAS ONE OF THE REALLY CONSISTENT THEMES THROUGH THIS PRIMARY RACE WAS ANY ALLEGIANCE AND ALLIANCE TO THE COMMUNITY AND TIM'S HORSE WILL REALLY PROVE THAT EVEN THOUGH THE RACE WAS RATHER CROWDED AND THERE WAS WAS REALLY PUMPED WITH A LOT OF MONEY. THIS THIS YEAR IS ALL YOURS THAT THE TEAMS DURING OUR ELECTION PERIOD. BUT BUT WE'RE TOLD CAME OUT ON TOP AND REALLY PROVE THAT THAT THAT COMMUNITY STOOD BEHIND HIM. >> JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT. YEAH, CROWDED RACE. 10 CANDIDATES. BUT AGAIN, AND THIS IS JUST ANECDOTAL. SOMETHING I KEPT HEARING FROM REPUBLICAN VOTERS IS LIKE IT'S LIKELY ATTACK OF CHICAGO POLITICS BECAUSE YOU HAVE SO MANY OF THESE CANDIDATES WHO HAD JUST VERY RECENTLY MOVED INTO THE DISTRICT TO RUN FOR THIS SEAT AND WHO HAD HAD FAILED CONGRESSIONAL CONGRESSIONAL BEDS IN THE PAST AND NEW YORK AND THEN ILLINOIS AND I DON'T KNOW. I FOUGHT CATALINA LIFE WOULD HAVE PERFORMED BETTER AT THE POLLS. SHE DID HAVE PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ENDORSEMENT BUT THAT THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT CAME VERY LATE IN THE GAME AFTER A LOT OF EARLY VOTING. MAIL-IN VOTING ALREADY COME IN. SO THAT REALLY DIMINISH ANY KIND OF BENEFIT THAT WOULD HAVE PROVIDED TO HER. >> IT ALSO SPEAKS TO GRASSROOTS EFFORTS AND HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE. ABSOLUTELY IS ALMOST LIKE WE'RE GOING BACK TO GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNING OLD TIME POLITICS RIGHT AND I THINK IT'S GREAT. I THINK THAT SEEING PEOPLE SAYING THESE CANDIDATES KNOCKING ON DOORS, SEEING THE INTEREST THAT WE SAW IN THIS PRIMARY IS SO EXCITING. OF COURSE, I'M A LITTLE BIASED BECAUSE I'M A POLITICAL SCIENTIST. BUT I THINK THIS IS INCREDIBLE AND TO SEE THAT TYPE OF EXCITEMENT AND IN OUR AREA IS IS WONDERFUL. >> AND THEN WHAT ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE, VICTOR ARIAS? >> WELL, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY HE'S A DEMOCRAT AND A VERY, YOU KNOW, STRONG HOLD REPUBLICAN DISTRICT. BUT, YOU KNOW, HE JUST NEEDS TO KIND OF GET HIS HIS MESSAGE OUT THERE. AND I THINK TO NOW INDIVIDUALS ARE VOTERS ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING IN WASHINGTON LOCALLY AND THEY REALLY WANT TO HEAR ABOUT HOW THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT. YOU KNOW, THEIR THEIR BANK ACCOUNT IMPACT THEIR FAMILY IMPACT THEIR COMMUNITY. AND THERE IS A BUSINESS OWNER. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO RESONATE WITH PEOPLE IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING THOSE ISSUES. >> I WILL SAY I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED THAT ROBERT NEELD DIDN'T PERFORM BETTER IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. >> YOU KNOW, HE'S A LIFELONG SOUTHWEST, FLORIDA AND HE'S AN ACCOUNT AND HE'S A RUN FOR THE SEA. AT LEAST 3 TIMES IN THE PAST. AND JUST IN INTERVIEWS I'VE HAD WITH HIM OVER THE YEARS REALLY JUST DOES SEEM TO HAVE A SOLID GRASP ON THE ISSUES AND IS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE HIS POSITION WHILE SO I WAS SURPRISED HE DIDN'T PERFORM BETTER. >> NOW, ANOTHER HIGH-PROFILE RACE LOCALLY. THE LEE COUNTY COMMISSION SEAT. AMANDA COCHRAN BEAT THE INCUMBENT. TRISH PETROSKI, I BELIEVE BY 11,000 VOTES. WHAT'S YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THIS WHEN THIS WAS DISTRICT 5? AND THAT INCLUDES PART OF OLGA ALVA, KIND OF EAST LEE COUNTY, OLDEST CARS OR AMENDMENTS TO STREET SOON >> DON'T ASK YOU YOUR GARDEN. >> BUT I THINK THIS WAS REALLY A REAL CRITICAL ELECTION FOR FOR DISTRICT 5, ESPECIALLY NOW WHILE IT'S A COUNTY WIDE ELECTION. THEY DO REPRESENT THEIR DISTRICT. SO IT IS DISTRICT 5 AND AMANDA COCHRAN LIFELONG LEE COUNTY IN. SHE'S LIVED IN ALVA FOR I THINK PRETTY MUCH HER WHOLE LIFE. AND SHE ALSO RAN AGAINST MY CREAM. WELL, BEFORE, OBVIOUSLY WHEN WHEN CREAM ALE FIRST RAN AND ACTUALLY WON THE DISTRICT EXCEPT DIDN'T WIN THE COUNTY WIDE BECAUSE OF THE ABSENTEE BALLOTS WERE WERE WHICH WERE REALLY INTERESTING. AND NOW SHE'S GOING TO BE A CASE STUDY, I THINK, FOR FOREVER BECAUSE OF THAT. BUT SO A MAN DEBATE OUT, TRISH PETROSKI IN THIS ELECTION AND SHE HAD BEEN OBVIOUSLY APPOINTED VERY RECENTLY BACK IN DECEMBER BY GOVERNOR DESANTIS. BUT SHE HAD LIVED IN THE DISTRICT VERY LONG. AND THERE WAS A LOT OF CONTROVERSY OVER THAT. HOWEVER, SHE ALSO SHE BEING TRISH HAD OUTSPENT AMANDA SIGNIFICANTLY. YES. AND AMANDA COCHRAN CAME OUT AND 1 THAT ELECTION LAST NIGHT AND IT WAS A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT FOR LEE COUNTY IN FOR DISTRICT 5. YEAH. FOR THE LAST ELECTION AND AS YOU WERE SAYING, IT. >> IT REALLY INDICATES ARE VOTERS WHO LIVE IN THE DID BUY A MARCH, SUPPORT HER. AND IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT THIS TIME AROUND THERE WAS NO DEMOCRAT IN THIS RACE. SO THIS WAS AN OPEN UNIVERSAL PRIMARY. EVERY VOTER IN LEE COUNTY, REGARDLESS OF PARTY AFFILIATION, GOT TO CAST A VOTE. AND I'M I'M TRULY CURIOUS ABOUT HOW IT WOULD HAVE GONE DOWN IF THIS HAD BEEN A CLOSED PRIMARY. >> AND AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THAT COMMUNITY THEME WHERE WHAT WHAT ARE THE ISSUES THAT ARE IMPACTING DISTRICT 5? IF YOU THINK THE GROWTH, ESPECIALLY THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE ROADS. >> SO WE WANT TO MAINTAIN THEIR WORLD CHARACTER BUT DISTRICTS. AND THERE'S JUST MORE AND MORE DEVELOPMENT PRESSURE. WE SEE A CHANGING EVERY DAY. AND I REALLY THINK THAT'S WHAT MOTIVATED A LOT OF PEOPLE, AT LEAST THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT. >> TO GET OUT AND VOTE ON TO SINK. IT SHOWS A LOT OF CITIZENS ARE REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO SOME OF THESE KEY RACES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM AT EACH OF THE 4 LEE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD RACES, INCUMBENTS WON. >> WHAT'S YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THAT? WELL, JUST 2 OF THE INCUMBENT WON BECAUSE THERE WERE 2 CANDIDATES IN THE RACE, BUT THERE WERE 2 OTHER SEATS WHERE BOTH OF THE INCUMBENTS WILL NOW ADVANCE TO THE GENERAL ELECTION, ALONG WITH ONE OF THE CHALLENGER, SAM FISHER DEFEATED CHALLENGER JIM MCDOUGAL FOR THE DISTRICT. ONE SEAT. JADA LANGFORD, FLEMING DEFEATED INDIA PULL NCA IN THE AT-LARGE DISTRICT. 6 RACE ARMOR PERSONS IN THE DISTRICT. 5 RACE. HE'S THE INCUMBENT. HE GOT THE VOAST THE MOST VOTES, BUT HE DIDN'T REACH THAT 50% THRESHOLD TO WIN THE RACE OUTRIGHT. SO HE'S GOING TO FACE CRYSTAL JOHNSON IN THE GENERAL ELECTION. LIKEWISE INCUMBENT DEBBIE JORDAN EARNED THE MOST VOTES IN HER RACE BUT NOT ENOUGH TO HIT THAT 50% THRESHOLD. SO SHE FACES CHALLENGER, ANTONE BORE AND NOVEMBER. SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES TENDED TO CAMPAIGN ON PLATFORMS OF FISCAL TRANSPARENCY, TEACHER RETENTION AND PARENTAL RIGHTS. THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ELECTION FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AT THIS TIME BECAUSE THEY'RE NAVIGATING A 92.0, 4 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET DEFICIT AND THE STRATEGIC BUDGET REALIGNMENT 457 STAFF CONTRACT NON-RENEWAL NOTICES HAVE ALREADY GONE OUT AND THIS IS THE 8TH LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. THE 27TH LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY. AND, YOU KNOW, WE HELD A FORUM ALONG WITH THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN, VOTERS OF LEE COUNTY. WE INVITED ALL THE CANDIDATES IN THIS RACE TO PARTICIPATE. DEBBY JORDAN WAS THE ONLY INCUMBENT WHO DID PARTICIPATE IN THAT RACE. AND SO I THINK WHAT WE SAW WITH A LOT OF THESE CHALLENGERS WERE MOM'S OF STUDENTS IN THE DISTRICT WHO ARE NOT POLITICIANS. AND WE'RE ALMOST GETTING INTO THIS RACE RELUCTANTLY BECAUSE WHEN THEY WOULD, THEY TALKED ABOUT SPEAKING AT SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS DURING PUBLIC COMMENT PERIODS AND BOARD MEMBERS LIKE NOT PAYING ATTENTION, ALMOST LOOKING BORED AND SO I THINK IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE BOARD GOING FORWARD. AND I THINK A FUTURE ELECTION YEARS, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE MORE AND MORE PARENTS COME OUT. WHO DON'T CONSIDER THEMSELVES. POLITICIANS DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED, BUT THEY JUST WANT TO HAVE A GREATER SAY AND WANT TO FEEL MY PARENTS ARE BEING HEARD. AND RIGHT NOW THAT JUST ISN'T THE MOOD. I TOTALLY AGREE, JOHN, YOU ARE RIGHT ON WITH THAT. I AGREE. >> NOW IN CAPE CORAL, RESIDENTS CERTAINLY MADE THEIR VOICE HEARD AND THEY ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THEIR INCUMBENT MAYOR JOHN GUNTER, WHO IS NOW OUSTED. WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT RACE >> SO HE ACTUALLY EVEN JUST FINISHED 3RD IN THAT RACE. HE FINISHED A DISTANT 3RD. THAT WAS A BIT OF A SHOCK TO ME. SO NOW, BUT WE'RE GOING TO SEE MOVING FORWARD IS CANDIDATES. LISA COHEN, ATKINSON AND RICK HARRISON ADVANCING TO THE GENERAL ELECTION ERICSSON'S A RETIRED ARMY VETERAN AND HE ALSO WORKED AS A PARAMEDIC. HE GOT THE MOST VOTES AT 32%. COHEN ATKINSON IS A REAL ESTATE BROKER AND OWNER OF VALOR REAL ESTATE SERVICES. SHE'S BEEN A CAPE CORAL RESIDENT SINCE 1990, SHE BROUGHT IN ABOUT 24 AND A HALF PERCENT OF THE VOTE. BUT AS FAR AS GUNTER'S THE FEET, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN PUT THAT ENTIRELY ON HIM AND HIS CAMPAIGN. I THINK HE SORT OF REPRESENTS THIS ESTABLISHMENT OF LOCAL CAPE CORAL GOVERNMENT, THAT RESIDENTS JUST HAVEN'T BEEN HAPPY WITH AND I KIND OF. >> IF AL MANSOUR HERE, THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISGRUNTLED OF VOTERS IN CAPE CORAL, NOT ONLY FOR THE MAYOR, BUT FOR THE CITY COUNCIL, RIGHT LIKE SOME TIME. THEY THEY VOTED ON A A VERIFICATION, A VOTER VERIFICATION AND RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT AS WELL. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY I THINK, TO THE HEART OF A LOT OF THE CAPE CORAL VOTERS ALONG WITH THAT COMES WE'RE COMING BACK TO THE THEME OF COMMUNITY. CAPE CORAL IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE OVERDEVELOPMENT. THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE AND WHO WILL PAY FOR THAT RIGHT? WHAT HAPPENED? THE DECISION WHICH JAYCEE PARK SO SO THIS IS COMING BACK. FULL CIRCLE REALLY TO THE TO THE CITY COUNCIL. AND AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOME CHANGES IN THEIR IN THEIR GOVERNMENT. OFFICIALS NOW IN BONITA SPRINGS VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY SAID YES TO THE REFERENDUM TO BRING THE BURKE PROJECT. TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT AND WHAT THAT ME. SO I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT >> THIS PAST, BUT I WAS SURPRISED BY THE MARGIN OF IT BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE TEND TO VOTE IN A FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE WAY. AND IF YOU'RE VOTING TO ALLOW YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO BONDS, BORROW 30 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THIS. THIS GREAT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT. I MEAN, THAT'S NO SMALL CHUNK OF CHANGE. THAT'S A HUGE COMMITMENT ON THE VOTERS PART. ABSOLUTELY. BUT IT SHOWS THAT THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR THOSE WHO FOR IMPROVING THE COMMUNITY I MEAN, IT'S 35 MILLION DOLLARS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE ALLOWED TO BOMB TO. THE VOTERS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY BACK OVER A SERIES OF DECADES. BUT IF THIS PROJECT DOES GO FORWARD, IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT COMMUNITY ASSET. IT'S GOING TO BE THIS TRAIL FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS ON WHAT IS NOW LIKE AN OLD RAIL LINE THAT'S NOT REALLY USED ANYMORE. IT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY REMARKABLE PROJECT FOR CYCLISTS AND FOR RUNNERS TO GIVE THEM A SAFE CORRIDOR. >> YOU REALLY GREAT BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY OF BENITA SPRINGS INTO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY WITH THE LATEST COURT.