NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. Ellen Darden, president-elect of the Southeast Volusia Board of Realtors and a Bethune Beach resident, is running for the district 3 Volusia County Council seat held by term-limited Jack Hayman. Darden is shown here at a recent luncheon of the Republican Club of Southeast Volusia. The County Council race is non-partisan. Darden describes herself politically as an "advocate of good covernment and a fiscal conservative." The other announced candidates are Deb Denys and former Deltona City Attorney George Trovato.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- As president-elect of the Southeast Volusia Board of Realtors, Ellen Darden is intimimately aware of the impact the national recession is having near and far across the country. She wants to be part of he solution closer to home and with that in mind, she's running for the district 3 seat on the Volusia County Council held by Jack Hayman, who is term-limited.
Darden, who took out her papers with the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections, joins Deb Denys and lesser known former Deltona City Attorney George Trovato in the non-partisan race with qualifying ending in June and a primary in August. Should no candidate receive 50 Percent plus one vote in the primary, the top two vote getters will face off in November.
So why is Darden making her maiden political voage in such a high-profile race where there are sure to be more candidates?
"With the way things are going, our elected officials have to be as careful as possible with your tax dollars," Darden said of the district's 71,300 voters, which includes residents from the Brevard County lie north to parts of Port Orange and Ponce Inlet, including all of Oak Hill, Edgewater and New Smyrna Beach, as well as the unincorporated beachside communities of Bethune Beach and Silver Sands, Samsula out to State Road 415 west of New Smyrna Beach and Edgewater, including unincorporated Samsula.
Darden, 61, of Bethune Beach, describes herself as "an advocate of good government and a fiscal conservative."
Saying it's more than a cliche, Darden espouses belief in "smaller, smarter and most efficient government one can have of the people, by the people and for the people."
Darden added, "I've been an Abe Lincoln conservative since I was 4."
Each of the candidates for district 3 must obtain a minimum of 713 qualified signatures from registered voters here in order to get on the ballot for the primary.
Darden said she has received assistance in getting ballots out to registered voters for signatures from the likes of newly-elected Mayor Adam Barringer and City Commissioner Judy Reiker and Hayman himself.
"I'm shooting for 800 signatures by the end of April," Darden said, adding this will giver her an opportunity to speak directly with the voters and get their persective on where they stand on the issues and how she can help them, if elected.
"I want to look the people in the eye," Darden said.
On the eve of taking out her petition to run, Darden resigned her position as legislative chair of the Board of Realtors, the political arm of the organization that lobbies Tallahassee legislators and recommends candidates for elective office. In last fall's municipal elections, the Board of Realtors endorsed the canidacies of incumbent Commissioner Jack Grasty and candidates Reiker and Barringer.
Grasty won the primary outright, Reiker crushed incumbent Randy Richenberg and Barringer got by incumbent Mayor Sally Mackay.
FAST FACTS
Announced candidate: Ellen Darden, 61, of Bethune Beach, president-elect of Southeast Board of Realtors, member of Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce, member of the Republican Club of Souheast Volusia County, former NSB High School teacher.
Family: Husband of 41 years, Frank; and their two grown children, Mark Darden of San Diego and Kathryn (Darden) Smoltz of Atlanta. She is married to John Smoltz, yes, that John Smoltz, perennial All-Star Major League pitcher of the Atlanta Braves and last season with the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals.