General Election 2022 Results

General Election Results

Lagging Deltona precincts report, full results in

UPDATE 12:30 A.M.- While the majority of Volusia County’s precincts were reporting their results by 10:30 p.m. Nov. 8, two Deltona precincts were among eight countywide that hadn’t properly uploaded results. After discovering that results from the two Deltona precincts hadn’t properly been transferred to a secure flash drive, staff from the Supervisor of Elections Office traveled from their DeLand office to the two Deltona precincts to resolve the server issue.

Finally, by midnight, the remaining election results — Deltona’s two precincts — were reported.

It was a big night for Deltona, too. Five of the Deltona City Commission’s seven seats were up for grabs this election, and the winners were:

— Santiago Avila Jr. unseated Mayor Heidi Herzberg,

— Tom Burbank beat Brandy White in District 1,

— Incumbent Maritza Avila-Vazquez beat challenger Tara D’Errico in District 3

— Stephen Colwell beat Donald Freeman in District 5, and 

— Jody Lee Storozuk defeated challenger William “Bill” Coakley in District 6.

A number of races were close, and with two outstanding precincts, it was difficult to call the race for mayor in particular until nearly midnight Nov. 8.

Still, Herzberg, whose 12-year tenure on the City Commission ended with her defeat, saw the writing on the wall earlier in the evening.

She congratulated her opponent for a job well done.

Avila saw his victory as an indictment of the current city administration.

“Residents are fed up,” he said.

As the new mayor, Avila hopes to have conversations with many residents and, “make sure they have a voice.”

In District 6, Storozuk also had thoughts about City Hall. 

“Every aspect of it needs to be looked at,” he said, specifically referencing the city’s revolving door when it comes to its city manager.

Wide margins in some Volusia County Council races

UPDATE 11:15 P.M.- As more and more precincts report results, Volusia County Council candidates endorsed by County Chair Jeff Brower didn’t fare well. 

At-large candidate Doug Pettit, District 3 candidate Ted Noftall and District 4 candidate Ken Smith were all a part of Brower’s endorsements he called the “Volusia Values” ticket. 

In the race for the County Council at-large seat, Pettit was defeated by fellow Republican Jake Johansson, who received an endorsement from the local Republican Executive Committee. 

Pettit felt he was treated unfairly by the Republican Party and that their endorsement of his opponent was “difficult to overcome.”

Johansson’s nearly $200,000 in his campaign coffers — the most of any County Council candidate — dwarfed Pettit’s $40,000.

“The money spoke,” Pettit told The Beacon.

Johansson said he was ready to get to work.

“I want to create a cohesive council that is ready to work together to solve complex problems,” he said.

In District 3, Noftall was defeated by incumbent Danny Robins by an 11,000-vote margin, and in District 4 Smith was beaten by opponent Troy Kent by 5,000 votes.

Brower didn’t have picks in every County Council race, though, and in District 5, two Deltonans — Democrat Victor Ramos and Republican David Santiago — duked it out for the seat vacated by former County Council Member Fred Lowry.

With 19 of the 21 precincts reporting, Santiago held a firm lead of around 5,000 votes over Ramos. 

Santiago, who previously served four two-year terms in the Florida House of Representatives, said he was excited to serve the public again.

“I’d like to encourage our County Council to discuss our legislative priorities and fiscal priorities,” he said, “and see if we could get ready for the next legislative session and see if we can draw down some funds for infrastructure or other priorities that the state can join us in.” 

Ramos, the CEO of nonprofit organization Mid Florida Housing Partnership, said he plans to remain active in the community.

“I’m still going to be involved. I’m looking for ways to make this county a better place,” Ramos said. “My issues will be small business, infrastructure and quality of life. I’m not going away.”

Incumbent Patricia Stevenson holds seat in DeBary

UPDATE 10:30 P.M.- Compared to the Volusia County Council and Deltona City Commission, where a majority of seats were up for grabs this election cycle, the city of DeBary had just one race on the general election ballot: City Council Seat 3. In that race, incumbent Patricia Stevenson fended off a challenge from political newcomer Donnie Taylor. 

Speaking after her victory was clear, Stevenson was already thinking about the future, notably infrastructure improvements she wants to work on.

“I’d love to see something done about Dirksen Drive, widening it between I-4 and 17-92,” she said.

All in all, Stevenson said, the race for Seat 3 was a cordial one.

“We both care about our town,” she said.

Of the 8,897 ballots cast in the race, Stevenson received 5,231 to Taylor’s 3,666.

Barnaby holds seat in Florida House

UPDATE 10:25 P.M.- With 37 of the 39 precincts reporting in the race for the redrawn state House District 29, Deltona’s Webster Barnaby beat out DeLandite Rick Karl by roughly 20 percent of the vote. 

Barnaby, a Republican who currently represents District 27 in the Florida House, faced off with fellow Republican and DeLand-area Rep. Elizabeth Fetterhoff, of the former District 26, to represent District 29.

“I worked hard, I worked really hard,” Barnaby told The Beacon. “I’m looking forward to fighting for the lives of the unborn, lowering the property insurance rates of Floridians, and protecting the free state of Florida.” 

DeLand attorney Karl had the support of the local Democratic Party, but it wasn’t enough to beat Barnaby.

“We gave it our best,” Karl said.

Barnaby was first elected to the Florida House in 2020, and he will go back to Tallahassee when the next session of the Legislature begins in January 2023.

Women win Orange City Council seats

UPDATE 10:15 P.M.- After a day at the precinct, Fran Darms said she was “gobsmacked” when she learned she had won the District 5 City Council seat.

Darms cites her win as a direct result of her efforts to get people to vote.

“I went outside of the comfort zone he [incumbent Martin E. Harper] relied on,” Darms said.

Darms was especially excited about the future of the City Council. “This puts more women on the council, which is astounding,” Darms told The Beacon.

Darms beat incumbent Harper with 646 votes to Harper’s 321.

Harper was not available for comment.

Lisa Stafford also won a seat on the City Council in District 2.

Stafford, with a love for people and not politics, has made history as the first African-American woman elected to the County Council.

“History has been made,” Stafford said. Stafford explained that with more women on the council, she believes it will be more caring toward Orange City residents.

“There is going to be a change,” Stafford said.

Jeff Allebach, the incumbent, said Stafford campaigned well. “Probably I didn’t campaign enough,” Allebach told The Beacon.

Stafford won with 380 votes to Allebach’s 360.

UPDATE 10:15 P.M.- The Volusia County Elections Office is awaiting delivery of ballots from eight precincts that did not upload their results remotely.

The precincts are in Deltona, Ormond Beach, New Smyrna Beach and Oak Hill. It was not immediately clear why the precincts did not upload their results. Shortly after 10 p.m., trucks were on their way with the ballots to the Elections Office in DeLand.

‘It’s the red wave’ — Republicans win big

UPDATE 9:30 P.M.- “It’s the red wave.” That’s how DeLand attorney Don Dempsey summed up his likely win over incumbent District 1 Volusia County Council Member Barb Girtman, and his assessment seemed to fit a number of other local and state races, as well.

With 25 of 33 precincts reporting, Dempsey held a nearly 5,000-vote lead over Girtman, with 19,877 votes to Girtman’s 15,071.

“It’s the red wave,” Dempsey said. “I was endorsed by the Republican Party.”

While Girtman was active on the campaign trail, Dempsey laid low, seldom seen at campaign events and rarely advertising.

“I’m disappointed to not be able to see my vision for improvements go forward,” Girtman said.

Tallies from the Volusia County Elections Office showed Republican voters far outperforming Democrats. At 9 p.m. on Election Day, the tally showed only 67,328 Democrats voting, to 107,853 Republicans. Another 47,539 voters with no party affiliation cast ballots, for a high voter turnout of about 55 percent.

The red wave seemed to take the Volusia County School Board, too. While officially nonpartisan, School Board races across the country have become hotly politicized.

In Volusia County, conservative Jamie Haynes, a Republican, held her seat on the School Board against opponent Al Bouie, a Democrat. The party split was the same in District 3, where conservative newcomer Jessie Thompson took a seat on the School Board, beating out opponent Justin Kennedy.

In the race for School Board District 1, Jamie Haynes credited her win to her long career as an educator.

“I’m on year 36 in my career as a teacher. This has been my life,” Haynes said. “You’re never going to see me run for another office, that’s not what my passion is.”

With all 29 precincts reporting, Haynes beat her opponent, longtime educator Al Bouie, by a comfortable 7,000 votes.

“I’m humbled and honored to be able to have an honor to continue to serve and be a voice for our students,” Haynes said. “I just want everybody to have a great academic education. They all deserve that.”

In a speech given by Bouie to his supporters as the number of unreported precincts dwindled, he congratulated his opponent for running a good clean race. 

In District 3, Jessie Thompson beat out Justin Kennedy in the race for the seat previously occupied by School Board Chair Linda Cuthbert. 

Thompson, a political newcomer, was endorsed by big-name Republicans, like Gov. Ron DeSantis.

New faces on the Pierson Town Council, majority now women

UPDATE 9 P.M.- Political newcomer Brandy Peterson and Planning Board Chair Linnie Richardson gained seats on the Pierson Town Council, with the town’s one precinct fully reporting more than 400 votes.

Richardson replaces incumbent D. Gray Leonhard, the former Planning Board chair before Richardson, on the Town Council, with 250 votes to Leonhard’s 151. 

Richardson was shocked, she said. Shocked and humbled. But she’s ready to take her seat on the Town Council.

“I’m all about that accountability, that’s my thing,” Richardson said. “That’s my primary goal right now at this juncture.”

Leonhard was disappointed, but respectful.

“It is what it is,” he told The Beacon. “That’s why we have a democracy. People vote, and you have to respect what their vote is.”

Leonhard plans to take a break, he said.

“I’ve been working hard for over a year-and-a-half, and I’m just kind of tired,” he said.

Peterson could not be immediately reached for comment.

Cloudman is DeLand’s next mayor

UPDATE 8:15 P.M.- With all six of DeLand’s precincts reporting, and 13,194 ballots cast, City Commissioner Chris Cloudman is the city’s new mayor. 

Cloudman watched election results roll in among family, friends and supporters at Elusive Grape in Downtown DeLand. The crowd erupted into applause and demanded a speech when results from all of DeLand’s six precincts were reported.

“It’s been an incredible process,” Cloudman said. “We have made a whole lot of new friends. We have strengthened friendships that we had. I couldn’t have done this without any of you, especially my wife and family.”

Cloudman said he is excited to lead DeLand into its next stage and connecting with DeLandites.

“I am going to spend a lot of time reconnecting with a lot of our business owners, a lot of our community members, a lot of people that make DeLand what it is,” Cloudman told The Beacon.

According to the Elections Office, DeLand has 26,168 registered voters, so the turnout was just more than 50 percent. 

Cloudman’s opponent, former Volusia County administrator Reggie Williams, was thankful for the support he received. 

“It hasn’t happened for us,” Williams said on election night. “We did everything we could, but it just hasn’t happened. But there’s still work to be done. There’s still much to do. Thank you all for your support.”

Williams added, “We’re not stopping.”

Williams watched results roll in surrounded by friends and family at Taste of Soul restaurant in south DeLand.

Cloudman received 7,688 votes, while Williams got 5,506.

UPDATE 8:00 P.M.- Republicans are holding comfortable leads in local and statewide races, with 111 of 136 precincts reported in Volusia County.

Many incumbents were falling behind, Barb Girtman in Volusia County Council District 1, Martin Harper and Jeff Allebach on the Orange City Council, D. Gray Leonhard on the Pierson Town Council and Deltona Mayor Heidi Herzberg among them.

Republicans outnumber Democrats in early and mail votes

UPDATE 7:40 P.M.- With all the early voting and some of the vote-by-mail results uploaded at the Volusia County Elections Office website, a story is beginning to take shape: Republican turnout far exceeded that of Democrats.

According to the Elections Office, 107,737 Republican voters cast ballots by mail or early, compared to 67,227 Democrats.

It showed in the early results, with Republican Webster Barnaby in the Florida House District 29 race and Republican Don Dempsey in the Volusia County Council District 1 race, along with two Republican School Board candidates, all showing leads in the early results.

Polls close soon on a rainy Election Day

6:45 P.M.– Tropical Storm Nicole’s outer bands made Election Day a rainy affair. Many Volusia County residents braved the rain to cast their ballots on Election Day, while 92,284 voted by mail and 57,902 cast their ballots in-person early.

Volusia County boasts a total of 413,924 active registered voters; that includes 160,161 Republicans, 125,665 Democrats and 119,513 not affiliated with any party.

Voters decide on a number of high-profile races today, like Florida’s governor, a U.S. senator, a number of hotly contested seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and the state’s House and Senate, as well as mayoral seats in DeLand and Deltona, a majority of seats on the Volusia County Council and the Deltona City Commission and much more.

Keep your eyes on this page for updates throughout the night as results roll in, as well as comments from your new elected representatives.

Update, Nov. 10: A previous version of this story stated that School Board Member-elect Jessie Thompson was endorsed by the organization Moms For Liberty. This was incorrect, the organization endorsed Thompson’s opponent, Kim Short, and School Board Seat 1 Member Jamie Haynes. The story has been updated to correct this error.