2008 Election

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.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla -- Jill Biden, wife of vice presidential candidate Joe Biden, urged nearly 300 Democratic supporters at the Woman's Club of New Smyrna Beach this afternoon to take advantage of early voting before the expected Nov. 4 election-day crush.

I wonder how many Americans realize that if George Bush had gotten his way with privatizing social security the Bush Administration would already have gambled away a large vestige of its citizens’ economic survival. The stock market would have gobbled it up in the last few weeks.

Unlike the unregulated profiteers being bailed out, the private citizen would be left to the mercy of whatever soup kitchen would keep him plodding along until he dropped dead from lack of everyday necessities.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Early voting for the presidential election as well as a host of local, state and national congressional races started with a bang today with 862 ballots cast at the New Smyrna Beach Library, according to the Volusia County Elections Office.

Overall, 4,241 voters took advantage of early voting on the first day. Early voting runs through Nov. 1, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

New Smyrna Beach ranked third among four Volusia library locations where voters cast their votes. New Smyrna Beach had 862 voters.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Vehicle after vehicle pulled up to the street corner on Flagler Avenue on this temperate Sunday afternoon to get their hands on a John McCain-Sarah Palin election sign during the inaugural Uncorked wine- and food-tasting event.

But just as many, if not more of these same signs are being pilfered from people's lawns, say local Republican campaign officials.

PORT ORANGE -- State Rep. Dorothy L. Hukill, R-Port Orange, whose district includes Southeast Volusia, welcomed Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp to
Volusia County for the inaugural Volusia Economic Development Summit.

The Sept. 30 Summit, hosted by Hukill, brought together state and local policy makers, economic development experts, and community business leaders to explore ways to expand Volusia's economy.