In an election season defined by partisan vitriol and hate, Danny Burgess tries a little kissing (of his wife Courtney, of course) to woo a voter or two.
Despite worries nationwide about the voting process in 2020, due to taking place in the middle of a pandemic and concerns raised by President Trump about the validity of mail-in votes, Pasco’s Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley said the county’s efforts this past election were about as smooth as could be.
“Overall, it exceeded my wildest expectations,” Corley said.
Roughly 304,000 votes were cast in Pasco County, including 302,621 votes for president. President Donald Trump received 179,621 votes, or 59.4 percent, while President-elect Joe Biden received 119,073, or 39.4 percent.
Nationally, however, Biden defeated Trump by more than six million votes and in the Electoral College 306-232.
The 304,000 votes cast in Pasco represented 78 percent of the eligible voters, far exceeding 2016’s totals of 244,950 ballots cast and a 73-percent turnout.
Despite the record-setting numbers, Corley said the ability to secure six gymnasiums countywide for early voting and the influx of mail-in votes prevented some of the 3-4 hour long waits in line he feared beforehand.
In fact, only 65,000 votes (21% of all ballots cast) were cast on Nov. 3. Twice that number, 113,000, were cast during early voting, and more than 121,000 were mail-in votes, compared to 68,178 in 2016.
“The mail-in votes were a great safety valve and allowed for the in-person voting to be less crowded,” Corley said.
Corley added that mail-in voting has been growing in popularity since Florida started it in 2002, “but this year it was on steroids because of the pandemic.”
Despite President Trump’s disinformation campaign against mail-in voting (except in Florida, where he said it was okay), Corley thinks the mail-in numbers will only grow in the future.
“It got politicized, and that is very unfortunate,” he said.
Not surprisingly, Pasco County remained red, as Republican candidates went 9-0 in the vote, including Gus Bilirakis (U.S. Rep., Cong. Dist. 12), Danny Burgess (State Sen. Dist. 20), Randy Maggard (State Rep. Dist. 38), Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning and County Commissioners Jack Mariano and Kathryn Starkey.
For complete Pasco County 2020 General Election results, visit PascoVotes.org. — JCC
Shaun Dunn says sales of Trump merchandise are a good indicator of how well the President will do in Florida. The polls say otherwise. (Photo by John C. Cotey)
If local merchandise sales are any indication, Donald Trump is headed to a landslide re-election on Nov. 3.
That’s how Shaun Dunn sees it, anyway. The businessman runs a Trump tent right next to his Joe Biden tent at the entrance to The Grove in Wesley Chapel, and says the Republican president is outselling the Democratic former VP 10-to-1. He is admittedly not a political scientist or pollster, but he is a numbers guy, and he thinks they are saying something.
“If there really is 50 percent support of Biden, that tent should really have way more people,” he says. “As far as I’m concerned it just really shows you that the silent majority is more than you think.”
Based on his sales and the interest people stopping by have shown, he thinks Wesley Chapel is Trump Country. Memorabilia like Trump-branded magnets, yard signs, hats, coins, mugs and yes, even masks to protect you from the spread of coronavirus, are flying off his tables.
Flags and the iconic red Make America Great Again hats are his best sellers, and Dunn says he has sold 250 life-size cutouts of Trump – at $75 a pop – since opening his stand on Sept. 1.
Before he could open his Trump tent at The Grove, however, he had to agree to open a Biden tent as well.
Mark Gold, who is developing The Grove, insisted Dunn do a tent for each candidate, as he didn’t want to get caught in any political quandary.
“I told him if he wants to do one, he does both,” Gold says. “To be fair.”
Dunn says he was fine with the idea. In fact, he kind of liked it.
“I got to thinking about it, and you know, that’s probably the right thing to do,” he says. “That way, everybody gets a chance.”
In fact, Dunn has opened Biden tents next to his Trump tents at his Holiday Mall location, also owned by Gold, and in Lakeland.
The Biden tent at The Grove was his first, and he says he has never seen any others in his travels.
Suli Torres works the Biden tent. She jokes that she got the short end of the stick, but since she will be voting for Biden, she is fine with it.
“Everyone is pretty excited to see me, I’ve even had people offer me food and drinks,” she says, then adding, with a chuckle, “maybe they feel sorry for me.”
Torres was engaged in a conversation with a customer about climate change when we visited on a Monday morning, although that conversation was interrupted by a young woman wanting to purchase a Biden hat. At the Trump tent, though, Dunn was busy ringing up a pink “Women For Trump” t-shirt and a matching pink hat for one customer, and a mask and a coffee mug for another
Does the popularity of the Trump tent concern Torres when it comes to the Nov. 3 election?
Not really. “Florida is a Republican (controlled) state, so I’m okay with it,” she says. “I will cast my vote and hope for the best.”
Dunn eschews political talk at either tent. He says his employees are trained not to get political with customers. He is unwilling to debate Trump vs. Biden, and says he is only there to make money.
“They all want to talk politics,” he says. “I don’t say nothing. Basically, I tell them ‘I hear ya,’ because I don’t want to be getting involved. I like somebody, but I prefer not to say. I’ll vote for who I like. But, this is just a business for me.”
The one thing the Trump and Biden tents, which are spaced about 10 feet apart, do have in common? The amount of vitriol those working them have had to endure.
Due to the toxicity of the country’s political climate, Dunn and Torres each say they have been sworn at and threatened by people driving by or leaving after purchasing something from the other tent.
Financially, the Biden tent only makes enough money to cover what Dunn pays his employees and the rent. The Trump tent has been far more lucrative.
Dunn says four of his former employees left him to start their own Trump tents, and are all doing well. He wishes he had started selling it sooner. “I’d be able to retire by now,” he says.
However, do sales equal votes? Even in 2016, the Trump merchandising operation was a juggernaut, and he lost the popular vote by roughly 3-million nationwide to former First Lady Hillary Clinton, while claiming a narrow 70,000-vote edge in crucial battleground states Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin to give him a victory in the electoral college. (Trump won Florida by 112,000 votes; he won Pasco County by 52,000).
This election, the polls are favoring Biden — by larger margins than they favored Clinton — but Trump gear is just as prevalent, if not moreso, than four years ago. How those numbers will add up on election day remains to be seen.
The only math that really matters, however, is the nationwide final tally of votes. Record turnout is expected all across the country.
Dunn is likely correct about Wesley Chapel, and more broadly Pasco County, being Trump Country. Republicans have unanimously controlled the five-person County Commission for many years, and there are currently 159,127 registered Republicans, or 26,100 more than in 2016.
Meanwhile, there are only 118,127 registered Democrats in Pasco, an increase of only 10,800.
There also are 109,682 registered voters who did not list a party affiliation, an increase of 27,000 from the 2016 election.
One thing that is certain: Pasco County will vote. Presidential election voter turnout has averaged well over 70 percent since 1984, according to the PascoVotes.gov website. In 2016, the voter turnout was 73 percent.
In fact, residents were voting long before early voting even started on Oct. 19, as more than 70,000 mail-in votes already had been received, accounting for 18 percent of all registered voters in Pasco.
And, with this election expected to break turnout records across the country, Tami Bentley, the director of voter administration for Pasco County, says they are ready not just for more voters, but more socially-distant voters, due to Covid-19 concerns.
“We have worked closely with Pasco County to secure some larger early voting facilities,” Bentley says, like the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County.
In addition, mail drop boxes will be posted at every early voting site for the first time, hopefully assuaging fears about mail-in ballot voter fraud being perpetuated on social media and by President Trump himself.
Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco and Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley also put out a joint statement promising a safe environment at all early voting locations, all of which will be manned by Poll Deputies.
Interesting Local Pasco Races
While Trump-Biden tops the ballot and is driving the expected record voter turnout, other races that have local implications include:
Superintendent of Schools: Kurt Browning, the Republican who easily won his primary, is running for his third term against Bayonet Point Middle School teacher Cynthia Thompson, who says the District needs an educator to fix it.
State Senator District 20: Republican Danny Burgess resigned as executive director of the Florida Department of Veteran’s Affairs in June to run against Democrat Kathy Lewis in this special election to replace Tom Lee, who retired.
State Representative District 38: Republican Randy Maggard won the 2018 election to replace Burgess, and is defending his seat against Democrat Brian Staver.
Pasco County Commission, District 3: Incumbent Republican Kathryn Starkey, first elected in 2012, has raised more than $200,000 in her bid to keep her seat against Democrat Jessica Stempien, who has raised $30,000.
Pasco County Commission, District 5: Incumbent Republican Jack Mariano is seeking his fifth term (he was first elected in 2004) against Democrat Brandi Geoit and independent Victor Rodriguez.
Florida 12th U.S. Congressional District: Republican incumbent Gus Bilirakis, who replaced his father Mike (who served for 25 years) when he was first elected to the District 9 seat in 2007, is trying for another term in District 12 (which he has represented since 2013)against Democrat Kimberly Walker.
Early voting continues through Oct. 31, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Vote By Mail drop boxes are available at each early voting site, including the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus (3021 Sports Coast Way), AdventHealth Center Ice (3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd.) and the New River Library (34043 S.R. 54).
The general election is Tuesday, November 3, when polls will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m.. Wesley Chapel has 13 polling places, which can be found by visiting PascoVotes.gov or by checking your voter registration information.
Considering that I didn’t cast a ballot for U.S. President back in 2016 (and took a lot of heat for it, from friends and readers on both ends of the political spectrum), it should come as little to no surprise that I did not vote for either President Donald Trump or former Vice-President Joe Biden (or any other candidate) this year.
Oh, just as I did in 2016, I still voted, I just didn’t feel, in all good conscience, that I could vote for either of these two men to lead our country for the next four years.
“Well, that means you can’t complain if you don’t like who ends up getting elected,” is what many of my detractors told me in ‘16.
I countered that, as an American citizen, I have the right to do anything I want (as long as it’s legal), I just felt again that I would rather let the rest of the country decide between two candidates I can’t personally support — which also is my right.
And, just to repeat myself, just because I didn’t cast my vote for Trump or former First Lady Hillary Clinton in ‘16, or Trump or Biden this year doesn’t mean I didn’t vote. I did vote for the local and state candidates I felt I could support — some of whom won and some who lost last time — and I again feel pretty good about most of the people and amendments I did support.
And yes, I have now voted this year — by a mail-in ballot that I requested and received from Pasco Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley’s office. I had no desire whatsoever to vote in person and, based on the lines from Day One at Pasco’s early voting locations, I don’t want to drop off my ballot, either.
Covid-19 has affected so many aspects of our daily lives and although I’m still wearing a face mask everywhere in public I do go, way too many of you aren’t doing the same, so even with my vote, I still feel I need to do everything I can to protect myself.
As for who I’m voted for in some of the other elections on the Nov. 3 ballot, I’d rather not say, but Here is how I voted on all six Amendments to the Florida Constitution that also were on my ballot — several of which I have fairly strong feelings about:
On Amendment 1, I say Yes, you should have to be a U.S. citizen to vote in any election, although I foolishly thought it was already a requirement nationwide.
On Amendment 2, considering the cost of living these days, I don’t feel that even $10 per hour is much of a living wage, and As a small business owner, I have no problem with the $1-per-hour-per-year increase through 2026, so I’m voting Yes.
On Amendment 3, I feel very strongly that in Primary Elections, only registered Republicans should vote for Republican candidates and Democrats for Democratic candidates, unless there is no opposition candidate, which is the system we currently have in place, so I’m voted No on changing that.
On Amendment 4, I feel that we already have too many such amendments to deal with every year, so to require any amendment to have to be approved in two elections gets a hard No from me. I’m not really 100% sure how I feel about Amendment 5, but I voted Yes because I believe that homeowners (even though I’m not currently one) should get as much benefit as they can since owning a home continues to only get more expensive.
And finally, I also feel that any spouse of any deceased or disabled veteran should get as much benefit as possible from their spouse’s service, so I’m voting Yes on Amendment 6.
Even if you disagree with everything I’ve said here, I hope you’ll also exercise your right to vote in this very important General Election.
These are more than words to non-partisan judicial candidate Ashley Willis Ivanov, who is running to become the next Group 19 judge of Florida’s 13th Circuit Court.
To her, they hold value when they are lived out. Professionally and personally, Ivanov says she lives out these ideals.
Ivanov, an attorney who lives in Lithia, has handled a diverse range of cases, including litigated and non-litigated matters, representing both plaintiffs and defendants. She presently focuses her practice on probate and estate planning.
“Integrity in the practice of law is important for the rule of law to be effectively carried out,” she says.
Born in Charleston, SC, Ivanov graduated magna cum laude with honors from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and cum laude from Vermont Law School in South Royalton.
She previously clerked for the federal government, interned at the U.S. Department of Justice and later worked for large, mid-size and small law firms in Washington D.C., Maryland and Hillsborough County, where she started her own law firm in early 2018.
A member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, Ivanov zealously advocates for her clients, giving them straightforward feedback. Sometimes, this may mean informing a prospective client that he or she does not have much of a case or that the legal fees in the matter could be higher than what the client may have initially anticipated. “Transparency is part of being ethical,” she says.
The public testimonies of Ivanov’s clients attest to her professionalism.
Reading to children in the Head Start Program with her fellow Rotarians (above) is one of the ways Ashley Ivanov, a candidate for Circuit Court judge, gives back. (Photo: Ashley Ivanov campaign)
“My clients’ matters are more than pieces of paper filed in court with case numbers,” she says. “These are real people with real stories that matter.”
In her personal life, Ivanov says she stays busy volunteering with her church and taking her daughter to Girl Scout events.
“I try to lead by example and integrity is at the center of this,” she says, adding that impartiality is a cornerstone of a judge’s responsibilities in administering justice.
“We need more people to run for public office who are going to do what is fair and right and, for the judiciary, uphold impartiality,” Ivanov says. “It is not the judge’s role to legislate from the bench, but to apply the law as it is, as created by the legislature.”
Service also is a regular part of Ivanov’s life, and she would not have it any other way. She serves with the FishHawk-Riverview Rotary and says she enjoys reading to children in the HeadStart Program with her fellow Rotarians.
As a member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association’s Community Services Committee, Ivanov has participated in Wills for Heroes, where she prepared complimentary estate planning documents for First Responders.
For more information about Ashley Ivanov’s campaign for District 13 Circuit Court Judge, Group 19, visit VoteAshleyIvanov.com.
Judge Michael Scionti (with his arm around General) and wife Zsuzsanna (holding JoJo).
Michael Scionti has more than 20 years of experience in law, but he sounds like he is just getting started.
His first six-year term as Group 19 Circuit Judge in the 13th Judicial Court, which encompasses Hillsborough County, is about to expire, but Scionti is eager for a second term to build on his successes, particularly his work with children and the nationally-respected Veterans Treatment Court (VTC), a courtroom designed to help jailed veterans battling mental illness and substance abuse as a result of their military service.
“To be able to see the positive impact in the faces and eyes of a mother who has her child back, the eyes and tears that fall from a veteran that has his or her life back…I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” he says.
The VTC is definitely close to his heart. Scionti has had multiple combat tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, serving as a military magistrate in each.
He’s also served as a Diplomat for the U.S. State Department and has been a member of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps for more than 20 years. His service gives Scionti a unique perspective for the struggles so many veterans face.
His work with the VTC, which he describes as a “collaborative” court, has gained national prominence, with a push to get the program implemented across the country. Scionti says Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who has endorsed him in his race against challenger Ashley Ivanov, played a key role in starting the VTC in 2014.
The court offers programs for military veterans who have been charged with crimes and/or suffer from mental illnesses, traumatic brain injuries, substance abuse and other issues related to their service.
“I try to get veterans out of jail and into treatment,” Scionti says. “There’s no punishment in my courtroom, only encouragement in trying to re-crack the code for these veterans, to help them learn how to problem-solve for themselves.”
According to a 2018 report by the U.S. Department of Justice, an estimated 79 percent of released prisoners were arrested within six years. The VTC reports that its recidivism rate is only 10 percent.
“It’s working,” Scionti says. “We’re very proud of it.”
Scionti graduated from Florida State University in 1990 with a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice and in 1996, he earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston.
He has held positions as an assistant Attorney General, an assistant State Attorney and an assistant statewide prosecutor.
He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2006-10, followed by a stint in the U.S. Department of Defense.
In 2012, Scionti was chosen by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for a mission to help the U.S. transition detainee operations away from the U.S. government to the Afghanistan government. Scionti played a key role in helping create an Afghani criminal justice system.
By constructing a previously nonexistent system that focused on everything from forensics and building cases to delivering verdicts, Scionti’s efforts helped allow allowed the Afghani government to assume the prosecution of the Taliban.
“Before that, I was not even sure I was ready to be a judge,” Scionti says. “But, I thought after all of this experience, you know what, I have perspective; I have common sense solutions that I’ve applied at international, national and state levels, I think I’m going to be an effective judge. So, I came back home and ran for judge.”
He was elected to his six-year term with roughly two-thirds of the vote. While Scionti says he is guided by many principles, the strongest one may have formed on the battlefields of Iraq.
He gets choked up when recalling being in a convoy in Iraq where two soldiers, both with wives and children, were killed by an IED. Scionti was unmarried at the time and, to this day, says he would have gladly taken that hit for them.
“When I sit on this bench and I’m presiding over these veterans who are struggling, I think about those soldiers who are no longer here,” Scionti says. “I’m certainly hoping that through my service, making the life that I have worthwhile, because I had the chance to come back…I’m doing the best I can to give back. That’s all.”
Scionti, who spends his spare time taking turns with wife Zsuzsanna doting on their rescue dogs General and JoJo, has a slew of endorsements from the likes of Viera, public defender Julianne Holt, former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and former Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink.
