It will be an all-Republican Marion County Commission for at least the next two years, as all three GOP candidates defeated their Democratic opponents Tuesday. Incumbent Parnell Townley easily defeated Ed Rancourt in the District 3 race. Townley took 56,333 votes to 36,607 for Rancourt, or 60.7 to 39.3 percent. Kesselring garnered 52,939 votes to 41,489 for Nicholson, or 56 to 44 percent.
All results are preliminary until being confirmed by elections officials.
Henning said he was proud to have been elected to three consecutive times, a rare feat for a county commissioner. Henning, who runs an agricultural business near Lowell and was formerly a parks director in south Florida, was first elected in 1994 during a special election to replace George McCall, who died while in office. Henning said this will be his last term on the commission. Carey is an art gallery owner who unsuccessfully challenged Randy Harris for the District 4 commission seat in 1998. Townley will start his third term with the commission, having served from 1988-92 and from 1996 to present.