Clay County Races Shape Up As Ballot Deadline Passes

Sheriff And School Board District 2 Are The Only Races Left To Be Decided

Photo by Jacob Morrison on Unsplash

*Update: After this article was published, Board Member Mary Bolla and candidate James Hughes have publicly denied Bolla had any involvement in his campaign or decision to run for office*

The local elections in Clay County have taken their final forms as we approach the primary election on August 20th and general election on November 5th, 2024. Of the twelve local offices up for grabs, only two are headed to the August ballot, and multiple candidates are qualified for them.

SHERIFF

The race for Sheriff is the most visible, with current Sheriff Michelle Cook facing former Sheriff Darryl Daniels. Daniels lost to Cook in 2020 after being accused of destroying evidence and removed from office before the election.

Cook has raised over $200,000 in campaign funds and garnered support from Clay County's political elite and numerous Political Action Committees (PACs). In addition to the support from Clay County, Cook has landed endorsements from other Sheriffs across Florida.

Daniels is running this time as an independent, hoping to garner support beyond the Republican party's borders. Daniels lags far behind Cook in fundraising, with only $13,814 raised as of the most recent reporting date. Daniels has held at least one fundraiser wherein he promised full access to him once elected in exchange for donations of $1,000 to his campaign fund.

While Cook’s campaign and supporters have focused on her record and merits, Daniels's small but very vocal supporters have attacked the way the current Sheriff has handled crime and other issues during her tenure.

SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 2

The most contested race in Clay County is that of School Board District 2, where four candidates have filed and qualified for the primary. While school board races are technically non-partisan, it’s no secret that the contest is split between two Republicans and two Democrats.

Republicans Roberto Alvero and Matthew Mitchell are both on the primary ballot and leading two very different campaigns for election. Mitchell, though last to qualify, has made a big splash as he is the youngest candidate to run for school board in Florida’s history. Mitchell, though young, has an background building relationships in Clay County and beyond and served on Governor Ron DeSantis’ re-election campaign.

Alvero is no slouch depsit being a relative political outsider in Clay County. Alvero is a living example of the American Dream, emmigrating from Cuba to escape the ruling communist regime. After gaining his citizenship, Alvero has served as a firefighter and is currently a member of the newly created Florida State Guard.

The other candidates in the race are James Hughes and Sharon Flowers. Hughes is a retired Clay County teacher and the brother-in-law of local teacher’s union President Vicki Kidwell. Despite being registered as a Republican, Hughes’ platform mirrors talking points of the Clay County Education Association. He was also recruited to run by union darling Mary Bolla, the current district 2 board member.

Sharon Flowers is the only official Democrat on the ballot. Flowers, an Army veteran, has no campaign website or social media. Her LinkedIn page says she holds a doctorate in Philosophy from Cappela University and is an adjunct professor in the American Public University System.

UNOPPOSED & DULY ELECTED

Following the June 14th deadline to qualify, 10 local candidates faced no opposition and were summarily elected:

• Clerk of the Court: Tara Green

• Property Appraiser: Tracy Drake

• Tax Collector: Diane Hutchings

• Supervisor of Elections: Chris Chambless

• Clay County School Superintendent, David Broskie

• Clay County School Board District 3: Beth Clark

• County Commissioner, District 1: John Sgromolo

• County Commissioner, District 3: James Renninger

• County Commissioner, District 5: Kristen Burke

• County Court Judge, Group 2: Kristina Mobley

The primary election is set for August, 20th and early voting begins on August 8th.