Clay voters reject charter amendments, elect Republicans, renew school tax

Clay County voters rejected three proposed charter amendments by wide margins, renewed a one-mill assessment for school security and elected Republicans to the county commission, State House and U.S. Congress in the Nov. 8 general election.

Aaron Bean ran away with the District 4 U.S. House seat race with a 21-point win over Democrat LaShonda “L.J.” Holloway. The Democrat won western Duval County with 55% but could not overcome Bean’s victories in his home county of Nassau, where he garnered 79%, and in Republican-dominated Clay, where he took 75%.

“We said better days have to be ahead on curbing inflation, stopping skyrocketing gas prices and issues impacting everyday Floridians,” Bean said in a statement following his win. “We said better days have to be ahead on supply chain issues that hurt business owners day in and day out under Biden-Pelosi. We said we have to protect and secure our borders, we have to make sure parents are the deciders of their child’s education, and Americans need to be able to work and provide for their families.”

“Tomorrow, we get to work,” the congressman-elect added, “where we will focus on not only addressing these most-pressing issues impacting Floridians but building excellent constituent services for all the citizens of the district. I am so honored to serve the great Congressional District 4 and to represent my home county as the first congressman elected from Nassau County!”

State Rep. Sam Garrison put down a challenge from Democrat Cornelius Jones 74%-26% to retain his Orange Park District 11 seat.

Garrison, slated to be House Speaker in 2016 if Republicans retain a majority in the lower chamber, benefited from his rising profile with significant contributions to his PAC: Honest Leadership.

Publix Supermarkets and the Florida Optometric Association each gave $50,000 to Garrison’s committee. The Florida Medical Association, Voice of Florida Business, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Jacksonville law firm Pajcic & Pajcic each contributed an additional $25,000.

Alexandra Compere won the Clay County Commission District 2 seat over Democrat Leroy Edwards 62%-38%. Compere takes over for outgoing chair Wayne Bolla who is termed out.

District 2, centered in Oakleaf Plantation, is comprised of six precincts, three of which Democrats hold a majority.

“I am honored to have earned the trust and support of District 2,” Compere said after the win, “but truly, this campaign was lavished with county-wide support. So many dear friends in the surrounding districts implored their circle to vote for me. I am floored.”

All three proposed amendments to the Clay County charter failed by wide margins.

One amendment that would have added an annual cost-of-living adjustment to commissioner salaries failed 38%-63%. A second that would have removed the current three-term limit on constitutional officers, like the sheriff, tax collector, property appraiser, supervisor of elections and clerk of court, failed 21%-79%. A third amendment that would have changed the meeting frequency of the charter review commission from every four years to every eight years also fell 21%-79%.

Last month after a meeting of the Republican Men of Clay, President Mike Cella said he was opposed to the annual cost-of-living adjustment and the reversal of term limits for the constitutional officers.

“My conviction is that we should have term limits,” he said. “We’ve got term limits for the governor, term limits for his cabinet, term limits for legislators, and term limits for county commissioners, at least here in Clay County.”

Voters also renewed a one-mill property tax assessment earmarked for school security and other school district expenses. The measure passed 53%-47%.