NSB Mayor Adam Barringer's future: Will he or won't he seek higher office?

NSBNews.net file photo by Henry Frederick / Mayor Adam Barringer is shown here addressing the Republican Club of Southeast Volusia last year. 

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Mayor Adam Barringer is the scheduled guest speaker for Thursday's Southeast Volusia Republican Club luncheon at the Smyrna Yacht Club.

With a flurry of locals announcing their campaign intentions, this seems like as a good a time as any for the first-term mayor to announce what he'll do in the big 2012 election campaign. Maybe he will, and then again, maybe he won't. 

Voter interest will likely be higher than say the mid-term elections were and certainly more so than the 2009 municipal elections in New Smyrna Beach. With the exception of Daytona Beach's Glenn Ritchey with the Daytona Beach News-Journal, no mayor has received as much public recognition in the last two years as Barringer, thanks to NSBNews.net.

So the question is, assuming Barringer makes an announcement at all at the GOP luncheon, is what office will be seek in the upcoming elections. He has six choices. Here they are:

1st scenario: Barringer announces he's not seeking re-election to any post

Chances of that happening: 0%. It would snow in New Smyrna Beach before that were to happen. Barringer has shepherded many projects and fulfilled his campaign promise of establishing an economic development committee.

2nd scenario: Barringer announces he's running for the Congressional seat held by Republican Sandy Adams of Oviedo

Chances of that happening: 0 %. Barringer understands the importance of the incumbent rounding out her first term. With her victtory in the mid-term elections, she is vital to the national Republican Party holding as many seats as possible in Washington as it tries to topple President Obama. It's doubtful Adams, the tough-talking Conservative, would have any GOP challengers and no one on the Democratic side has emerged.

3rd scenario: Barringer announces he's running for term-limited State Sen. Evelyn Lynn's seat

Photos / Frank Bruno and Dorothy Hukill

3rd scenario: Barringer announces he's running for term-limited State Sen. Evelyn Lynn's seat

Photo / Dorothy Hukill

Chances of that happening: 0 %. No way! First of all, Barringer is a registered Republican. He's not going to battle term-limited State Rep. Dorothy Hukill, who announced a year ago she was going for the job. 

3rd scenario: Barringer announces he's running for term-limited State Rep. Dorothy Hukill's seat

Chances of that happening: 1 %. Highly doubtful! This race is wide open, though Barringer would be the frontrunner. Maureen France of Port Orange and a former DeLand city commissioner, has already announced. He has to deal with his restaurant and he's getting married.

4th scenario: Barringer announces he's running for term-limited Volusia County Council Chairman Frank Bruno's non-partisan seat

Photo / Carl Persis

Chances of that happening: 0 %. Cars would come off the beach before that would happen! County Councilman Carl Persis of Ormond Beach has been waiting in the wings for several years while Barringer is considered a newcomer.

5th scenario: Barringer announces he's running for the Volusia County Council dist. 3 seat that incumbent Joie Alexander says she's not running for again

Photos / Jim Hathaway and Ellen Darden

Chances of that happening: 0 %. He might be considered the frontrunner here, too, though he knows how much Vice Mayor and Commissioner Jim Hathaway and NSB Board of Realtors President Ellen Darden want the job.

6th scenario: Barringer announces he's seeking a second two-year term as mayor of New Smyrna Beach

Chances of that happening: 99 %. He benefited from a third year when he and the commissioners voted in 2009 to extend their terms by one year to switch to even-year elections, Barringer is not likely to see any real challenger unless Sally Mackay tries to make a comeback off of her narrow defeat to him. 

NSBNews.net says it's a sure bet that Barringer bides his time for higher office and runs for mayor again where his leadership is needed.

NSBNews.net, also known as VolusiaNews.net, provides Volusia County 24 / 7 Internet newspaper coverage, 100% free with breaking news, news of record and investigative reports from New Smyrna Beach, FL, for a 21st-century digital world.