General Election 2012: Tampa Bay Results

Election night created gains for the LGBT community on both sides of the bay Nov. 6, coming at a crucial time in politics where counties are considering domestic partnership registries to benefit same-sex partners who are still unable to marry in the state.

In Hillsborough County, out Commissioner Kevin Beckner easily won a second term, defeating his Republican challenger Margaret Iuculano with more than 55% of the vote. Meanwhile, anti-LGBT Republican Ronda Storms lost her bid for the property appraiser position when Bob Henriquez secured 52% of the vote. Storms, a former state senator, is remembered most locally for her decision while a Hillsborough County Commissioner to “ban” Gay Pride in the county in 2005.

Mark Nash failed in his attempt to become Hillsborough County’s second out commissioner, falling to incumbent Republican Al Higginbotham by a margin of 58%-37%.

On the other side of the bay, Pinellas County saw gains on its county commission that could bode well for future domestic partnership plans in the county. Currently, the county’s major citiesâ┚¬â€St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Gulfportâ┚¬â€all offer domestic partner registries. The county has yet to embrace the idea of such a registry. But that could change with the election.

Two Pinellas County Commission incumbents lost their re-election bid while incumbent Ken Welch (D) held onto his District 7 seat with 70% of the vote. Charlie Justice doused Nancy Bostock after garnering 53% of the vote and Janet Long held back incumbent Republican Neil Brickfield after capturing 55% of the vote. According to exit polling, many voters said the decision of Bostock and Long to remove fluoride from the county’s drinking water earlier this year under pressure from Tea Party activists.

Here is a quick glimpse at some of the other Pinellas County- and Hillsborough County-specific elections:

PINELLAS COUNTY SHERIFF
Bob Gualtieri (R): 59%
Scott Swope (D): 40%

SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS:
Deborah Clark (R): 76%
Jack Killingsworth (D): 24%

PINELLAS COUNTY COMMISSION
DIST. 1
Janet Long (D): 55%
Neil Brickfield (R): 44%

DIST. 3
Charlie Justice (D): 52%
Nancy Bostock (R): 48%

DIST. 7
Ken Welch (D): 69%
Buck Walz (R): 31%

PINELLAS SCHOOL BOARD DIST. 1
Janet Clark: 65%
Elliott Stem: 34%

PINELLAS SCHOOL BOARD DIST. 7:
Rene Flowers: 77%
Glen Gilzean: 23%

U.S. SENATE:
Bill Nelson (D): 59%
Connie Mack (R): 37%

U.S. HOUSE DIST. 12:
Gus Bilirakis (R): 68%
Jonathan Snow (D): 30%

U.S. HOUSE DIST 13:
Bill Young (R): 58%
Jessica Ehrlich (D): 42%

U.S. HOUSE DIST. 14:
Kathy Castor (D): 85%
EJ Otero Jr. (R): 15%

STATE SENATE DIST. 20:
Jack Latvala (R): 58%
Ashley Rhodes-Courter (D): 42%

STATE HOUSE DIST. 65:
Carl Zimmerman (D): 53%
Peter Nehr (R): 47%

STATE HOUSE DIST. 66:
Larry Ahern (R): 53%
Mary Louise Ambrose (D): 47%

STATE HOUSE DIST. 67: D
Ed Hooper (R): 53%
Ben Farrell (D): 47%

STATE HOUSE DIST. 68:
Dwight Dudley (D): 50%
Frank Farkas (R): 44%

STATE HOUSE DIST. 69:
Kathleen Peters (R): 52%
Josh Shulman (D): 48%

CITY OF DUNEDIN MAYOR
Dave Eggers: 52%
Bob Hackworth: 48%

DUNEDIN COMMISSIONER SEAT 3
Heather Gracy: 58%
David Carson: 41%

LARGO CITY COMMISSION: SEAT 4
James Robinson: 59%
Robert Hunsicker: 41%

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
PROPERTY APPRAISER:
Bob Henriquez (D): 52%
Ronda Storms (R): 43%

COUNTY COMMISSION DIST. 4
Al Higginbotham (R): 58%
Mark Nash (D): 37%

COUNTY COMMISSION DIST.  6
Kevin Beckner (D): 58%
Margaret Iuculano (R): 42%

SCHOOL BOARD DIST. 7:
Carol Kurdell: 57%
Terry Kemple: 43%

SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS:
Craig Latimer (D): 56%
Rich Glorioso (R): 44%

U.S. HOUSE DIST. 12:
Gus Bilirakis (R): 64%
Jonathan Snow (D): 33%

U.S. HOUSE DIST. 14:
Kathy Castor (D): 68%
EJ Otero Jr. (R): 32%

U.S. HOUSE DIST. 17:
Thomas Rooney (R): 57%
William Bronson (D): 43%

US HOUSE DIST. 24:
Tom Lee (R): 54%
Elizabeth Belcher (D): 46%

STATE SENATE DIST. 26:
Bill Galvano (R): 57%
Paula House (D): 42%

STATE HOUSE DIST. 57:
Jake Raburn (R): 59%
Bruce Barnett (D): 41%

STATE HOUSE DIST. 58:
Daniel Raulerson (R): 58%
Jose Vazquez (D): 43%

STATE HOUSE DIST. 59:
Gail Gottlieb (D): 51%
Ross Spano (R): 49%

STATE HOUSE DIST. 62:
Janet Cruz (D): 69%
Wesley Warren (R): 30%

STATE HOUSE DIST. 63:
Mark Danish (D): 51%
Shawn Harrison (R) 49%