DeSantis, Hood, Gailey, Patterson, Shelley shine as well

Headline Surfer video and photos by Henry Frederick / Frank Bruno and Carl Persis are Democrats with muscle as demonstrated in a Daytona Regional hob nob straw poll Tuesday at the Ocean Center. Bruno, the Volusia County chair, is hoping to move up to the political ladder with a Nov. 6 win over Republican Dorothy Hukill. Persis has been waiting in the wings for Bruno's chairmanship. Standing in his way is Republican Jason Davis, though this race is non-partisan. 

DAYTONA BEACH -- Dist. 8 state senate hopeful Frank Bruno was the last major candidate on stage to introduce himself to the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce hob nob crowd Tuesday at the Ocean Center, but he left a big winner, besting his Republican rival Dorothy Hukill, with 54 percent of the 184 votes cast in a straw poll ballot.

Bruno, the Democrat, was ecstatic, saying, "There were more Republicans than Democrats, but we still won hands down. We had strong Republican support."

Hukill left without comment. A message for comment this morning went unanswered. The two have been enngaged in a bitter race with a flooding of TV commercials attacking each other. They will go face to face in a 90-minute public candidate debate 6 p.m. Sunday at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach, sponsored and moderated by Headline Surfer.

Bruno pointed to the result for the presidential race as proof of the Republican presence with Mitt Romney receiving 60 percent of the 254 straw poll votes over President Obama on the eve of their second televised debate. 

In the race for U.S. Senate, Republican Connie Mack was the winner with 54 percent of the 250 votes cast over incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson.

With 248 votes cast for U.S. House dist. 6, Republican Ron DeSantis got 57 percent of the vote over Democrat Heather Beaven.

In the race for state house dist. 25, Republican Dave Hood received 78 percent of the 163 votes with NPA Christina Spencer-Kephart getting 22 percent. 

Carl Persis, who hopes to follow in Bruno's footsteps as the next elected Volusia County chair, took part in an earlier mini-debate with opponent Jason Davis, who hopes he can pull the upset like he did by finishing second in a field of three with power attorney Ted Doran finishing a distant third. But the straw poll went to Persis with 59 percent of the 250 votes entered.

And trying to follow in the footsteps of Persis -- who stepped down from his County Council dist. 4 seat in June because of a technical issue related to his state drop program retirement -- Doug Daniels was the top vote-getter with 86 percent of the 73 votes cast over opponent Shannon McLeish.

Republican Deb Denys came in second in the three-way primary for County Council dist. 3 against two Democrats in the non-partisan race, Justin Kennedy and the winner, Jim Hathaway. But in the straw poll, Hathaway was the runner-up with Denys securing 62 percent of the 34 votes cast. 

Candidates paid $50, which gave them a table, two voting tickets and two free drinks. Those with the most supporters in their races. The Denys-Hathaway vote was much smaller than the Persis-Davis vote because only those living in the district, in this case, Southeast Volusia, could vote.

Among other races:

State Senate dist. 6, with 67 votes, Republican John Thrasher 61%, Democrat Kathleen Trued 39%;

State House dist. 27, with 83 votes, Republican David Santiago 52%, Democrat Phil Giorno 48%;

Daytona Beach Mayor, with 64 votes, Edith Shelley 59%, Derrick Henry, 41%;

County Council dist. 1, with 44 votes, Pat Patterson 68%, Jeff Allebach, 32%;  

County Council dist. 2, with 95 votes, Josh Wagner 65%, Nancy Epps, 35%;

County Council dist. 5, with 95 votes, Richard Gailey 57%, Pat Northey, 43%;

Ormond Beach City Commission zone 1, with 71 votes, James Stowers 70%, Alan Burton 30%;

Volusia County School Board dist. 4, with 82 votes, Linda Costello 61%, Judy Conte 39%;

Port Orange City Council dist. 3, with 27 votes, Robert Pohlmann (incumbent) 56%, Drew Bastian 44%;

Daytona Beach City Commission zone 1, with 36 votes, Carl W. Lentz IV 56%, Ruth Trager 44%;

Daytona Beach City Commission zone 4, with 6 votes, Robert Gilliland 83%, Thomas Kaczka 17%;

Daytona Beach City Commission zone 6, with 22 votes, Paula Reed 64%, Cathy Washington 36%;