2024 primary election results: Hillsborough County races

Hillsborough School Board members Nadia Combs and Jessica Vaughn held onto their seats in Tuesday’s primary, despite opposition from Gov. Ron DeSantis and campaigns that turned ugly in the final weeks.

Attack ads painted the two incumbents as socialists and supporters of pornography in the schools, as they have opposed banning books. One video linked Vaughn to the Hamas terrorists.

But, despite the harsh missives, challengers Myosha Powell and Layla Collins finished well behind the incumbents.

“I’ve said this many times — people are tired of negative messages,” said Vaughn, 47. “They want to know what people are for, and not constantly against. Most of all, they just want politics out of education.”

Combs, 54, said: “I counted 16 mailers against me, all negative, so negative.”

She said voters have shown “that they want people who have the knowledge and experience and are here for the right reasons. No amount of money and no amount of influence can shake somebody who really cares about children.”

In Central Hillsborough’s District 5, Henry “Shake” Washington, 75 — who was not targeted by the governor — won more than 60% of the vote in a group that had three qualified candidates and a write-in. He said the key to his success is “how I treat people and respect people.”

In the countywide District 7, incumbent Lynn Gray, 72, will enter a runoff on Nov. 5 against middle school teacher Karen Bendorf, 48, who was close behind her among four candidates. “I feel fine,” Gray said. “I’m very confident.”

There was little surprise in the Republican primary for Hillsborough clerk of the circuit court: Former state legislator and Hillsborough Commissioner Victor Crist, 67, easily defeated political unknown Melony Williams, 54, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, 68% to 32% with all precincts reporting.

Crist, who was recently involved in a serious car crash leaving a campaign event and spent eight days in the hospital with broken ribs and head injuries, said his wife, a Democrat, has been attending campaign events for him. “She drew the line about putting on the Trump hat, though,” he said.

He hopes to be back on the campaign trail by Labor Day. He faces the Democratic incumbent clerk, Cindy Stuart, in the November election.

In the Republican race for Hillsborough Commission District 2, incumbent and current commission chairperson Ken Hagan, 56, who was first elected 22 years ago, easily fended off a challenge from Melissa Nordbeck, 54, a first time candidate who opposed big-scale development in rural Hillsborough, by a margin of 78% to 22%, in unofficial vote totals.

Hagan will take on Democrat Patricia Altagracia Alonzo, a medical interpreter and tech executive, in the general election race to represent parts of northern Hillsborough.

In the District 4 commission race to represent parts of eastern and southern Hillsborough, Republican Christine Miller, 52, head of the Plant City Chamber of Commerce was recently appointed to a vacancy on the commission by Gov. Ron DeSantis. She easily fended off a challenge from real estate broker Cody Powell, 37, by a margin of 69% to 31%.

The Democratic side of the District 4 race pitted Jonathon T. Chavez, 23, a recent University of South Florida graduate and activist, against Nicole Payne, 51, business owner and president of the Hillsborough Black Chamber of Commerce. Payne bested Chavez with 63% of the vote to his 37%.

Also running — without party affiliation — in November: welding and tractor repair business owner and stand-up comedian Matthew Taylor.

For the countywide District 6 commission race, Democrat Sean Shaw, 46, a former state legislator, soundly trounced public library employee Joseph Ryan Taylor, 28, by a margin of 81% to 19%. In the general election, Shaw will face Republican Hillsborough Fire Rescue battalion chief Chris Boles, 55. Boles beat Jim Davison, 69, who has served on various government boards, 59% to 41%.

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Tampa Bay Times Election Coverage

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