New commissioner elected in Deltona’s District 6
An upset of a vocal member of the Deltona City Commission has occurred.
Nick Lulli has defeated Commissioner and Vice Mayor Jody Lee Storozuk, 51-49 percent.
“To be honest, it seems surreal,” Lulli told The Beacon. “When the first results came in, it felt like a heart attack. I’m still processing it.”
For his part, Storozuk says he does not plan to contest the election results, but he is not going away quietly.
“I’m calling for a special meeting of the City Commission for 4 o’clock Thursday afternoon at City Hall,” he said in an Election Night telephone conversation, adding he had already talked with City Clerk Joyce Raftery about his request. “I want to discuss two items. I want to talk about charter officers, and I want to talk about election interference in Deltona. People are not going to like what I have to say.”
Storozuk said he plans “to name names” and give details about his allegations.
As for his loss at the polls, Storozuk decried the Volusia County Republican Executive Committee for refusing to endorse him over Lulli. Municipal elections are officially nonpartisan races, but the parties do usually support or oppose candidates for these local offices.
“I’m a Republican,” Storozuk said.
Now, however, he is making the most of his electoral loss, noting he will be free to speak out without restrictions.
Deltona’s District 4 will have a new representative on the City Commission. Dori Howington defeated incumbent Commissioner Dana McCool. Howington could not be reached for comment.
The newly elected Deltona commissioners will officially take office at 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 11, at City Hall, 2345 Providence Blvd. The special meeting is open to the public.
Howington posts following Deltona Commission District 4 results
In the race for Deltona City Commission District 4, Dori Suzanne Howington wins over 54 percent of the vote, almost six hundred votes ahead of incumbent Dana McCool.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank my family, my supporters and all of the voters in Deltona District 4,” Dori posted on her Dori for Deltona Facebook Page following the win. “Tonight’s success is not mine, it is the people and City of Deltona’s Victory. We will change the landscape of our city for the better!”
Precincts 404 and 405 lagging behind others in reporting results
Precincts 404 and 405, whose polling places are both in the Trinity Christian Academy gym in Deltona, are the last two precincts in Volusia County to report election results.
The Beacon has been covering the long lines at this location since midday today. A reporter on the scene estimated that there would be a delay of up to two hours after 7 p.m. for the polling location to accommodate the line outside.
Latham reacts to State Rep. District 29 results
With 37 out of the 39 precincts reporting, polls show that incumbent Webster Barnaby takes the lead over Rosemarie Latham by about 12,000 votes.
“We’re disappointed that the outcome didn’t go the way we wanted,” Latham said. “But we have to respect the vote.”
Despite these numbers, Latham’s campaign team believes that there is a lot to celebrate.
“We had hundreds of donors and hundreds of volunteers,” Latham’s campaign manager David Bagley said. “We proved that with strategy and execution you can make things interesting.”
Voter turnout in Volusia County one of the highest in decades
Over 81.54 percent of all active registered voters in Volusia County cast a ballot this year, exceeding the previous voter turnouts in the past three presidential election cycles.
A majority of voters cast their ballots before Election Day. Preliminary totals have a total of 309,652 ballots cast and only 76,167 of those were on Nov. 5.
Precinct 404 in Deltona had some of the longest wait times in Volusia
In what is probably a historic voter turnout in Volusia County, there have been long lines at Precinct 404 in Deltona.
Throughout the day, voters have queued up and waited patiently to move forward and into the gymnasium of Trinity Christian Academy.
“I was here at 11 a.m.,” Robert Mullett said. “I was here at 5:30. I said I would come back at 10 minutes ’til 7.”
That worked, although he still had hoped to avoid standing in line for an extended period. However, Mullett had the honor of being the last voter in line when the 7 o’clock deadline came. In the next election, Mullett said, he intends to vote early and avoid the last-minute hassle.
Two amendments pass in Florida — Marijuana and abortion amendments both fail 
Amendment 2 (the right to hunt and fish) and Amendment 5 (homestead tax exemptions) were approved on both the state level and in Volusia County.
With only 16 of 143 precincts remaining, Volusia County voters have not reached the required 60 percent threshold for passing Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana usage, or Amendment 4, which would enshrine the right to an abortion. More than 55 percent of Volusia County voters said yes to 3, and 57 percent said yes to 4 — neither reached the 60 percent threshold to amend the state constitution.
Statewide, with 5,758,077 out of 10,304,845 voters, or 55.75 percent voting yes, Amendment 3 has failed. Amendment 4 failed to pass with 5,875,646, or 57.02 percent, of 10,304,845 voters.
Pierson appears to lose first Hispanic Town Council member
In Pierson, the first female Hispanic Town Council Member Sergia Cardenas appears to have been ousted after one term in Town Council Seat 4. With one of one precinct reporting, Cardenas lost by 58 votes. Of the 554 votes cast, Cardenas garnered 248 to 306. Challenger Jimmy Anderson received 306 votes, or 55.23 percent. Vote by mail is still partially counted.
“I felt I did my best, but I’m also feeling very grateful for this experience. It’s been almost four years since I poured my heart out into this decision,” Cardenas said in a phone interview shortly after the results were in. “Everyone that knows me knows I’ve networked for Pierson. I have my head held high.”
Anderson, reached by phone, was pleased by the results.
“It means a lot for me,” Anderson said to The Beacon in a phone interview. “I lived in this town for almost 58 years. I work for ’em for about 35 years. I know more about what needs to go on in this town about helping the workers.”
Cardenas was originally elected in 2020, running unopposed.
“I have big plans. This isn’t the end of Sergia Cardenas,” Cardenas said.
In the race for mayor, D. Gray Leonhard has beaten incumbent Mayor Samuel G.S. Bennett by 22 votes of 560 cast.
Leonhard is looking forward to making a change in Pierson.
“I’m going to help get our town to where it looks better and get our roads improved on to make Pierson the best place it can be,” Leonhard said in a phone interview with The Beacon.
Leonhard: “I’m very happy, it’s going to be a major change for the town. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a change.
“I’m going to help get our town to where it looks better and get our roads improved on to make Pierson the best place it could be.”
“I appreciate everything they done to help me win; means world to me.”
Chitwood appears to easily win re-election
With 66 of 143 precincts in Volusia County reporting, current Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood has an insurmountable lead over opponent James Powers.
Sheriff Chitwood has 225,382 votes, or 80.83 percent of all votes so far. Powers, a first-time candidate, has 53,469, or 19.17 percent.
State Representative District 29
In the race for State Representative District 29, hopeful Rosemarie Latham is challenging incumbent Webster Barnaby.
With 12 of 39 precincts in Volusia County who participate in this race reporting, Latham is trailing by 9,554 votes.
Libertarian Party nominee Matt Johnson has a total of 1,779.
Latham is watching the results roll in at The Elusive Grape in Downtown DeLand surrounded by supporters.
“It’s absolutely invigorating and exciting to see how many people have been on fire about this election and this race,” she said.
History will be made in Orange City
No matter the result, history will be made tonight in Orange City. Kelli Marks is facing Laurie Scotten in the race for mayor of Orange City, and either result will see the first female mayor in 143 years.
“It would mean a lot, because I love the history of our city,” Marks said by phone to The Beacon. “It marks a special time.”
The Beacon was unable to reach Scotten.
Increased voter participation by early voting
In the 2020 presidential election, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, 112,531 people voted early by mail or in person (so 64 percent of the 77.5-percent total voter turnout). The majority of voters so far in 2024 are early voters with 237,061 who voted early by mail or in person.
So far as of 6:40 p.m. Nov. 5, 310,595 of 384,336 registered voters in Volusia County have voted, reaching an 80-percent voter turnout.
BEACON PHOTOS/AL EVERSON
Only an hour left to vote in Volusia County
So far as of 5:40 p.m. Nov. 5, 306,905 of 384,336 registered voters in Volusia County have voted, for a nearly 80-percent voter turnout. Thousands of votes are coming in still as Election Day 2024 winds down.
Reports from residents today have been mixed as to wait times — many locations have little to no wait time, while Deltonans encountered a two-hour wait early this morning.
BEACON PHOTO/AL EVERSON
A Beacon reporter snapped this shot at Precinct 404, Trinity Assembly of God on Elkcam Boulevard in Deltona, around 5 p.m. today, Nov. 5. Like most of the people pictured, our reporter has been waiting in line for more than an hour-and-a-half. Earlier today, residents reported wait times of up to two hours. With voters continuing to arrive after work, results from this precinct may take a while to trickle in. Every person in line at 7 p.m. will still be able to vote.
A full breakdown of voter turnout can be found here.
