A short time after I posted my primary-day blog on Mary Jane Henderson onto Facebook, I received a comment there from her husband, Clay: "You don't get it Henry. Mary Jane is well liked and has made the difference in the lives of so many people."
I responded: "Yes, I do get it. And you are right. She is well liked and has indeed made the difference in the lives of so many people. As have you and I, for that matter. It still doesn't change the fact that as a sitting judge, Mary Jane came to the aid of a career criminal and a second con, (a) convicted killer who shot an unarmed man in the back."
I didn't hear back from Clay after that mid-day response, but the exchange led to two dozen posts from other people, including one of my high school classmates, which shows the far-reaching power of online social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, and of course, NSBNEWS.net.
I find it ironic that the two most controversial candidates in the primary elections, Mary Jane Henderson and George Trovato, are involved in recounts in their respective rates.
As of this blog entry at 2 a.m. Thursday, Henderson, the embattled County Court Judge, was 64 votes behind challenger Robert Sanders Jr.
Sanders won Tuesday's primary by 74 votes, but 10 unscanned ballots for Henderson were added to her tally, in advance of Friday's mandatory recount. Unofficial results after Tuesday's primary had Sanders winning, 33,578 to 33,504 with 67,082 people voting. Sanders' margin of victory, subject to the recall results, was 94 percent for Henderson.
George Trovato, one of five candidates for the County Council district 3 seat that represents the Port Orange area and greater New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater and Oak Hill, narrowly took second place over Deborah Denys, with Joie Alexander garnering the most votes for one of the two spots in a runoff ballot in the Nov. 2 general elections.
Alexander, term-limited in her County Council at-large seat, led the pack in Tuesday's primary with 4,.046 votes or 25.3 percent of the overall 15,988 votes cast. Trovato finished second with 2,812 votes or 17.59 percent of the total. Denys finished with 2,737 votes or 17.12 percent of the total.
Because no one received more than half of the votes cast, only the top two will go to a runoff in the Nov. 2 general elections. Alexander's place in the runoff is secured. Trovato holds a 75-vote advantage with the Canvassing Board expected to announce today where there will be a recount.
The recount is mandatory in the judge race because the vote difference was far less than the one-half of 1 percent cutoff.
Denys and Henderson should not get their hopes up, though. Rarely do recounts make for a different final outcome.
This is Trovato's first foray into elective politics. His opponents have questioned the veracity of his primary residence being in Port Orange as opposed to Deltona where he also has a dwelling.
Trovato, who was fired as Deltona's city attorney, has also been criticized by his opponents for his campaign website originally state he had served in the military before he removed it, claiming it was erroneously placed there by his webmaster.
Grandstanding at public meetings is another turnoff cited by Trovato's opponents, including taking to the podium during a beach driving forum at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach hosted by term-limited district 3 County Councilman Jack Hayman and Mayor Adam Barringer.
Trovato brashly told Hayman he'd be taking his job and then went on to a rambling speech, during which several people got up and left. Barringer said Trovato had made a mockery of the situation.
Volusia elections officials have already announced a recount beginning Friday for the county judgeship and will likely do the same for the county council race.
So here we have two different campaigns likely heading in opposite directions: Henderson off the bench and Trovato moving on, only to get crushed by Alexander in the November runoff.
Of course, being that this is politics, just the opposite occurring wouldn't be too shocking.
Anyone remember Beckstron-Vogel?