School Board member Chris Cowart and his wife Ashley enjoy their election victory Tuesday night. Cowart won school superintendent by a wide margin.

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

                Levy County voters turned out in record numbers for Tuesday’s election.

Voters gave Chris Cowart a blowout victory for school superintendent and handed President Trump a landslide win over Joe Biden in local balloting, according to unofficial returns.

            A total of 23,262 registered voters took part in the election with about two-thirds casting ballots in advance of Election Day in early and absentee voting, influenced in part by the COVID-19 virus.

            Cowart celebrated his victory with a loyal band of supporters in the community building next to First United Methodist Church in Bronson. He said he was excited about the challenges that lie before him.

            “We started this to make things better for our students, to make things better for our staff. I’m looking forward to getting to work to do that and continuing the great tradition of people before me that led our students and staff,” Cowart said.

One of his goals is to give students more educational opportunities to train for jobs while in high school.

“We’re definitely going to work to expand our career and technical and give our kids great opportunities so they get a world-class education in Levy County,” Cowart said.

            Elections Supervisor Tammy Jones said 77.28 percent of the county’s registered voters cast a ballot, which she believes is a record. She said the sheer number of voters was without question a record.

            The voting was spread out evenly between absentee ballots, early voting, and in-person voting on Election Day, something that has never happened before in her 26 years in the elections office.

The county’s canvassing board and election staff worked in the large back room of the elections office as people continued to stream into the front lobby to fill out absentee ballots before polls closed at 7 p.m. All the front lobby activity could be seen on closed-circuit television security cameras visible from the canvassing board work area.

            President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence received 16,721 votes in the election compared to 6,188 for Democrat Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris.

            Cowart defeated Jerry Lawrence 16,661 to 5,398.

            U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn was unopposed. He received 18,925 of the 19,785 votes cast in the District 2 race.

            In the District 5 state senate race, Jennifer Bradley received 16,488 votes compared to 5,791 for Stacey Peters who entered the race late when the original candidate, Melina Barrett, died of cancer. Peters’ name wasn’t on the ballot. She received all the votes cast for Barrett.

            Joe Harding received 16,508 votes in the District 22 state representative race while his opponent Barbara Bryant got 5,812.

            David Benton garnered 12,644 votes for Soil and Water District, Group 2, while his opponent, Paula Lessard, received 6,641.

            Scott Berry outpolled Jay R. Bushnell 13,202 to 5,992 for Soil and Water District, Group 4.

            Constitutional Amendment 1, allowing only United States citizens who are at least 18 years old to vote in Florida elections was approved 18,971 to 2,961.

            Constitutional Amendment 2 raising the minimum wage to $10 per hour effective Sept. 30, 2021, and $1 more each year until the minimum wage reaches $15 per hour on Sept. 30, 2026, was defeated 12,331 to 9,921.

            Constitutional Amendment 3 allowing all registered voters to vote in primaries for the state legislature, governor, and cabinet regardless of political party membership was approved by a narrow margin – 11,566 to 10,124.

            Constitutional Amendment 4 requiring all revisions to the state constitution to be approved by voters in two separate elections was approved by a small margin – 11,263 to 10,250.

            Constitutional Amendment 5, which would give homeowners three years instead of two to transfer Save-Our-Homes benefits to a new homestead passed 14,331 to 7,109.

            Constitutional Amendment 6, which provides that a homestead property tax discount for certain veterans with permanent combat-related disabilities would carry over to the veteran’s surviving spouse that holds legal title to and permanent residence on the homestead property, was approved 19,450 to 2,403.

            All the judges on the ballot, who were either a Supreme Court justice or members of the District Court of Appeals, were given the nod to continue serving.

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Enterprise Reporting by Terry Witt November 3, 2020; Posted November 3, 2020