FLEMING ISLAND – Although a local television station had already called the race for Clay County Republican Executive Committeewoman for Erin Skipper, she maintained her vigil in front of a computer screen as the Supervisor of Elections Office continued to post the results.

Once the last of 48 precincts tallied, she looked up and smiled. Her low-keyed, low-budget campaign garnered 61.5% of the vote in Tuesday’s Primary Election.

Skipper only collected and spent $350 on her campaign.

“My plan was to serve the people,” she said. “I think at the end of the day, when you listen to your constituents and voters and taxpayers, it pays off. They show up for you time and time again because you are the voice of the people.”

Skipper, who also serves as the District One representative on the Clay County School Board, received 11,807 votes, while Tanya Kacsan was second with 4,243 and Helana Joanne Cormier was third with 3,149.

Kacsan is the Chapter Chair for Moms for Liberty and advocates for banning selected books in public schools, which created some friction in the campaign.

 The Republican Committeewoman will represent the county with the Republican Party of Florida. Skipper was an alternate at the Republican National Convention last month. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also endorsed her for the school board in 2022.

Skipper had the added benefit of name recognition and her connection with DeSantis. She was the Vice Deputy Treasurer of the Republican Party, which helped her establish connections to many community leaders and elected officials.

She said the reason she wanted to add Republican Committeewoman duties to her responsibilities was simple: she not only wants to keep Clay County predominately Republican, she wants to make sure it remains a conservative county.

She said challenges are ahead, especially with getting residents involved and providing an accurate and positive message. Without providing honest information, the country's future may be at stake, she said.

“I want to make sure that we continue to elect conservative, true conservatives, and keep Clay red,” she said. “I’ve been able to serve in a positive light, not only across the state of Florida but even nationally. This is just serving my community and doing what’s right for my community. It’s a good win. I think it’ll be positive for Clay County.”