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City Mayor Keeps Seat; Vice-Mayor Falls In Tight Race

By TONY MARRERO Hernando Today

The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 5, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - The city's current mayor easily won re-election Tuesday and the vice-mayor narrowly lost his seat, according to unofficial results.
Mayor David Pugh Jr. won the Group 2 seat in convincing fashion, taking 62 percent of the vote in a three-way race. Yvette Taylor, a dispatcher for Wal-Mart, took 19 percent, and business owner Cecil Davis IV took 19 percent.

Vice-Mayor Frankie Burnett's lost his seat by just 34 votes to Joe Johnston III, a former council member and mayor who sought to return to the city's political arena. Johnston took 1,152 votes of 2,800 total votes cast, or 41 percent. Burnett took 1,118 votes, or 39.9 percent.

A third candidate, political newcomer and business owner Jason Sharp, received 19 percent.

The narrow margin in Burnett's race could bring into play a poll worker error at one of the city precincts.
Poll workers at Precinct 5 handed out the incorrect ballots for about half an hour after polls opened at 7 a.m., elections office spokeswoman Elizabeth Townsend said.

The precinct is attended by voters who live in the city limits and some who don't. At least some voters who should have received ballots with the two city council races on them did not, Townsend said.

A total of about 50 voters had passed through the precinct before the mistake was caught, but it's unclear how many received the wrong ballot, Townsend said.

Elections Supervisor Annie Williams said late Tuesday that the canvassing board will look at the race to determine how to handle the situation.

Burnett could not be reached for comment.

Pugh and Johnston declined to comment Tuesday night, saying they preferred to wait until the results became official.

Brooksville City Council (nonpartisan, 5 of 5 precincts reporting)

Group 2 seat

David Pugh (incumbent): 62 percent.

Yvette Taylor: 19 percent.

Cecil Davis: 18 percent.

Group 3
Joe Johnston III: 41 percent.

Frankie Burnett (incumbent): 39.9.

Jason Sharp: 19 percent.

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandotoday.com.