DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- For the first time in eight years, Patrick Henry found himself in the audience as opposed to being seated on the dais during Wednesday's meeting of the City Commission.
With term limits in play, Henry, a Democrat, ran and won the seat for state representative in the 26th district in the Nov. 8 general elections over Republican Michael Cantu, also of Daytona Beach, with 52.9 percent of the votes.
Replacing Henry on the dais is his younger sister Dannette Henry, who won the zone 5 seat in the Nov. 8 general elections over Myke Tyru, with 60.68 percent of the votes. Dannette Henry had already beaten Tyru in a three-way battle in the Aug. 30 primary with 46.3 percent of the votes to Tyru's 29,67 percent and Willie Williams managing 24.03 percent for third place and out of the running.
Because Henry didn't generate the threshold oh 50 percent plus 1 vote to win the office outright, she and Tyru squared off in the run-off election on Nov. 8, which she handily won.
And so it is a changing of the guard in muncipal governance - sort of. While one Henry replaced another -- Dannette Henry for Patrick Henry -- there remains a second Henry on the dais as well: Mayor Derrick Henry returns for another four yerrs after crushing a crowded preimary field and winning the office outright in that preliminary election with a whopping 62.15 percent of the votes over four other candidates.
Finishing a distant second to Mayor Henry was Ken Strickland with 22.45 percent of the votes, followed by Fred Hoffman with 6.8 percent, David Rhody with 4.43 percent and Dominique Delannoy with 4.16 percent of the votes.
And so it is a changing of the guard in muncipal governance - sort of. While one Henry replaced another -- Dannette Henry for Patrick Henry -- there remains a second Henry on the dais as well: Mayor Derrick Henry returns for another four yerrs after crushing a crowded preimary field and winning the office outright in that preliminary election with a whopping 62.15 percent of the votes over four other candidates.
Finishing a distant second to Mayor Henry was Ken Strickland with 22.45 percent of the votes, followed by Fred Hoffman with 6.8 percent, David Rhody with 4.43 percent and Dominique Delannoy with 4.16 percent of the votes.
Like Dannette Henry, another newcomer to the City Commission is Aaron Delgago, an attorney, who was sworn in as the zone 2 commissioner on the municipal dais. And like Dannette Henry, Delgado eventually won the seat after two public votes.
Delgado finished second in the Aug. 30 primary to Mary Weegie Kuendig in a three-way battle. Kuendig garnered 37.57 percent ogf the votes to Delgado's 36.94. Finishing a distant third and out of the running was Tony Servance with 25.49 percent of the votes. But in the general election with far more voter participation, Delgado won the seat with 55.76 percent of the votes to Keundig's 44.24 percent.
Zone 6 Commissioner Paula Reed and zone 4 Commissioner Robert Gilliland, both won without opposition in the 2016 election cycle and were sworn in as well Wednesday night.