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Pinellas shows support for Barack Obama
By SUZETTE PORTER
| Article published on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008 |
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PINELLAS COUNTY - More than 53 percent of Pinellas County voters cast their ballot for Barack Obama as the next president of the United States on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Statewide, for much of the night, the contest was too close to call.
Florida was touted throughout the campaign as a battleground state, and Tuesday night was proof positive. As of 9 p.m., results posted at the Florida Division of Elections Web site showed Florida evenly divided with 49.6 percent of the vote going to Democrats Obama and Joe Biden and 49.6 percent to Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin.
By 10 p.m., Obama had pulled ahead with 50.5 percent of Florida's vote. At 11:30 p.m., when John McCain was making his concession speech, Obama was reported to have 51 percent of the state's vote.
Unofficial results posted on the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Web site at 10 p.m. showed Obama and Biden in the lead with 53 percent, or 243,994 votes. McCain and Palin received 45 percent, or 206,909 votes. At 10 p.m., with 369 of 376 precincts reporting, Obama still led by 53 percent.
According to other unofficial results for other partisan races, Pinellas County voters favored five Republican candidates to four Democratic contestants.
Unofficial results from Pinellas County for national, state and multi-jurisdictional races are as follows.
In the race for congressional representative, district 9, Republican Michael Bilirakis was ahead 62 percent to Democratic challenger Bill Mitchell with 37 percent.
Republican C.W. Bill Young led 61 percent against Democrat Bob Hackworth in the race for congressional representative, district 10.
For congressional representative, district 11, Democrat Kathy Castor took a commanding lead, 88 percent, to Republican Eddie Adams, Jr. with 12 percent.
In the races for state senator and representatives, the following unofficial results were posted.
- State senator, district 11, Republican Mike Fasano, 64 percent, to Democrat Fred Taylor with 36 percent.
- State representative, district 48, Republican Peter F. Nehr, 51 percent, to Democrat Carl “Z” Zimmermann with 49 percent.
- State representative, district 51, Democrat Janet C. Long was ahead with 58 percent of the vote to Republican Terry Lynn Sanchez with 42 percent.
- State representative, district 52, Democrat Bill Heller came out on top 60 percent to 40 percent for Republican Ross Johnson.
- State representative, district 54, Republican James C. “Jim” Frishe, 57 percent, and Democrat George A. Gonzalez with 43 percent.
- State representative, district 55, Democrat Darryl Ervin Rouson, 94 percent, and 6 percent for the write-in candidate.
Judges retain their seats
Pinellas County voters said yes to allow Justice of the Supreme Court Charles T. Wells to keep his job. They also said yes to retain Second District Court of Appeal judges Chris W. Altenbernd, Carolyn K. Fulmer, Morris Silberman and James W. Whatley. In the race for Sixth Circuit Judge, group 8, Susan L. Gardner was in the lead with 65 percent of the vote to Robert Angus Williams with 35 percent.
Constitutional Amendments
Pinellas voters went against the majority, saying yes by 52 percent to constitutional Amendment No. 1. According to unofficial results from the state, the overall count was 52 percent no votes. Amendment 1 would have deleted provisions authorizing the Legislature to regulate or prohibit the ownership, inheritance, disposition, and possession of real property by aliens ineligible for citizenship.
Residents of Pinellas voted along with the rest of the state in saying yes to constitutional Amendment No. 2. Pinellas voters said yes by 54 percent. The statewide total was 62 percent yes. Amendment No. 2 protects marriage as the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife and provides that no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.
Pinellas was in sync with the rest of the state on Constitutional Amendment No. 3. Local voters said yes by 66 percent compared to 60 percent statewide. Amendment No. 3 authorizes the Legislature, by general law, to prohibit consideration of changes or improvements to residential real property which increase resistance to wind damage and installation of renewable energy source devices as factors in assessing the property's value for ad valorem taxation purposes.
Local voters also went along with the crowd on Constitutional Amendment No. 4. In Pinellas, 68 percent said yes. Statewide, 68 percent said yes. Amendment No. 4 requires Legislature to provide a property tax exemption for real property encumbered by perpetual conservation easements or other perpetual conservation protections, defined by general law. Requires Legislature to provide for classification and assessment of land used for conservation purposes, and not perpetually encumbered, solely on the basis of character or use. Applies to property taxes beginning in 2010.
Voters locally and statewide gave approval to Constitutional Amendment No. 6. In Pinellas, 75 percent said yes. Statewide, 70 percent approved. Amendment No. 6 provides for assessment based upon use of land used predominantly for commercial fishing purposes; land used for vessel launches into waters that are navigable and accessible to the public; marinas and dry stacks that are open to the public; and water-dependent marine manufacturing facilities, commercial fishing facilities, and marine vessel construction and repair facilities and their support activities, subject to conditions, limitations, and reasonable definitions specified by general law.
Voters said no to Constitutional Amendment No. 8. Locally, 54 percent said no. Statewide, 57 percent said no. Amendment No. 8 would have required the Legislature authorize counties to levy a local option sales tax to supplement community college funding; requiring voter approval to levy the tax; providing that approved taxes will sunset after 5 years and may be reauthorized by the voters.
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Article published on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008
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