FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Republican Byron Donalds made history Tuesday as Florida’s first Black governor-elect, while Flagler County voters sent Theresa Pontieri to the County Commission, returned Leann Pennington and Christy Chong to office, and selected two new Palm Coast City Council members.
The November 3 general election drew 64,378 ballots from Flagler County’s 100,550 registered voters, a turnout of 64.03%. All 22 precincts had reported, with Election Day, early voting and vote-by-mail totals complete in the county’s unofficial results.
Statewide, Donalds and running mate Bryan Avila narrowly defeated Democrats David Jolly and Gwen Graham. The statewide totals showed Donalds with 4,132,112 votes, or 50.02%, to Jolly’s 4,024,180 votes, or 48.71% — a difference of 107,932 votes.
Flagler County delivered a considerably wider margin for Donalds, who received 38,807 votes, or 60.82%, compared with Jolly’s 24,272 votes, or 38.04%.
Republicans also retained Florida’s three Cabinet offices, with Attorney General James Uthmeier, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson winning their races.
U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody held onto her seat, even as Democrats won control of both the U.S. House and Senate nationally. The congressional shift sets up a divided federal government for the remaining two years of President Donald Trump’s term.
In Flagler County, Moody received 39,526 votes, or 61.88%, followed by Democrat Angie Nixon with 23,598 votes, or 36.94%, and unaffiliated candidate Neil J. Gillespie with 753 votes.
Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Fine carried Flagler County in Congressional District 6 with 59.31%, while Republican state Rep. Sam Greco received 60.98% in the county’s District 19 voting.
Elsewhere in Florida, former Governor Charlie Crist defeated incumbent Ken Welch to become St. Petersburg’s next mayor.
Locally, Pontieri secured the District 2 Seat on the Flagler County Commission with 38,478 votes, or 64.79%, defeating independent Raymond Royer, who received 20,915 votes, or 35.21%.
Commission Chair Leann Pennington won another term representing District 4 with 44,755 votes, or 93.66%, against 3,029 write-in votes.
The School Board’s District 4 contest produced one of the evening’s closest local finishes. Incumbent Christy Chong edged former board member Trevor Tucker by 996 votes. Chong received 27,667 votes, or 50.92%, to Tucker’s 26,671 votes, or 49.08%.
Palm Coast voters elected Antonio “Tony” Amaral Jr. and Darlene Shelley to the City Council.
Amaral won the District 2 race with 24,406 votes, or 60.31%, defeating Jeani Duarte, who received 16,059 votes, or 39.69%.
Shelley prevailed in District 4 by 1,081 votes, receiving 20,214 votes, or 51.37%, to Dylana “Dee” Galery’s 19,133 votes, or 48.63%.
Voters also delivered decisive answers on Palm Coast’s three proposed charter amendments. Amendment 1 passed with 82.94% support, and Amendment 2 passed with 83.86%. Amendment 3 was rejected, with 79.52% voting no.
Flagler Beach voters approved their city’s charter amendment with 78% support.
At the state level, the contested constitutional Amendment 3 passed with approximately 62% support, narrowly clearing Florida’s required 60% threshold. The property tax measure expands homestead exemptions for non-school property taxes and reduces the annual assessment-increase cap for non-homestead properties.
Support was stronger in Flagler County, where Amendment 3 received 41,762 yes votes, or 67.97%. County voters opposed constitutional Amendment 1, with 58.05% voting no, and supported Amendment 2 with 63.73% voting yes. Statewide, however, Amendments 1 and 2 failed.
In community development district races, Brian L. Unger won Grand Haven CDD Seat 3 with 68.51%, and Gary Masten won Deer Run CDD Seat 2 with 56.41%.
All local figures reflect the unofficial election results supplied for this report and remain subject to certification.
