NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Barack Obama's mesage of "change" resonated big with voters nationally tonight with huge wins in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and the New England States as he closes in on 338 electoral votes compared to 150 for John McCain. The threshold for the presidency is 270 electoral votes.
Locally, New Smyrna Beach Democrat Suzanne Kosmos crushed incumbent Republican Congressman Tom Feeney, whose 24th district seat includes greater New Smyrna Beach. Kosmas garnered nearly 64 percent of the votes in Volusia against the three-term incumbent from Oviedo. Oak Hill Mayor Darla Lauer easily outpolled City Commissioner and former Mayor Mike Thompson to retain her seat, with nearly 56 percent of the vote.
Vousia incumbents romped to victory over relative unknowns with State Rep. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, taking nearly 60 percent of the votes in her race; State Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach, had 71 percent of the votes in her race; Volusia County Sheriff Ben Johnson, R-DeLand, had a whopping 72 percent voter-lead; Volusia Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall, R-Deltona, had nearly percent of the votes in her race and Property Appraiser Morgan Gilreath generated nearly 57 percent of his race's total.
NSBNEWS.net photo and video by Sera King. Cutline: Supporters of Barack Obama show their support at the corner of Canal Street and U.S. 1 in New Smyrna Beach before the polls closed. In the video, NSBNEWS.net editor Henry Frederick interviews an Obama supporter at the Canal Street rally who is dressed as John McCain.