Mere one-vote edge in Tuesday's primary by Ponce Inlet councilman upheld in recount

Volusia County Council dist. 4 candidate retains 2nd-place finish for November runoff

Joseph PerroneCourtesy photo / Councilman Joseph Perrone knows firsthand that every vote counts, especially in a small town like Ponce Inlet as affirmed by a manual ballot recount Friday.

DELAND -- Two races from Tuesday's primary went unchanged after recounts Friday.

Ponce Inlet Town Councilman Joseph Perrone won re-election over Joe Villanella by one vote in a recount Friday confirmed, unchanged from Tuesday's primary giving him the win, 609 to 608.

In another race requiring a recount, Shannon McLeish of Ormond Beach held onto her 27-voter margin over third-place finisher Jay Young for the right to go against Volusia County Council Council dist 4 primary primary winner Doug Daniels in the Nov. 6 runoff.

Daniels garnered nearly 38 percent of the votes, but far from the 50 percent plus one vote to take the seat outright.

The seat was vacated in June by Carl Persis because of a technicality with his retirement as a school administrator. Regardless, Persis was able to run for the County Council chair seat being vacated by Frank Bruno. Persis won Tuesdy's primary with with than 40 percent of the votes. Gulf War vet Jason Davis finished second to force a runoff. Power attorney Ted Doran fishished a distant third and out of the running.

Bruno is running for the newly re-drawn dist. 8 state senate seat against State Rep. Dorothy Hukill of Port Orange.

The recounts by the Canvassing Board began 9 a.m. Friday and finaly ended at 10:30 p.m., officials said. The votes had to be manually recounted because the margin of victory was less than 1 percent.