CLAY COUNTY – While the rest of the nation didn't have to learn Donald J. Trump would be their 47th president, there were no surprises in Florida or Clay County Tuesday.

Sheriff Michelle Cook won re-election for another four-year term against former Sheriff Darryl Daniels, while incumbent Florida Reps. Sam Garrison and newcomer Judson Sapp, representing portions of Clay County, had little trouble overcoming challenges from their Democrat opponents.

The race between the last two sheriffs of the county wasn’t competitive, either. Daniels was charged in 2020 with destroying evidence and ordering his deputies to arrest his mistress for stalking. A Clay County jury acquitted him of all charges in 2022.

Daniels filed for a No Party Affiliation candidate, but both candidates maintained a low-profile campaign.

Not counting a handful of provisional ballots, Cook earned 79.4% of 123,239 votes for the sheriff’s race.

“I want to thank the citizens of Clay County for their support and confidence in the great work that we've been able to accomplish over the past four years,” Cook told her supporters Tuesday night. “I am very honored to continue my service as the Clay County Sheriff and will continue to make Clay County proud.”

Voters delivered a significant victory for the county’s conservation future by agreeing to a bond referendum to protect water quality, wildlife, forests and farms. The “yes” votes far outweighed the “no” votes, 87,552-32,516, to allow the county commission to raise property taxes by $33 a year to generate $45 million in bonds to protect another 115 acres of public land from development and preserve natural areas.

Garrison, who is expected to become the Speaker of the House, will return to represent the northern third of Clay County in District 11 after beating Charlie Browne with 69% of 97,607 votes – 90.9% that were cast.

“Tonight was a huge win for Clay County with resounding election victories for Sheriff Michelle Cook and our local referendum to protect water quality, wildlife habitat, forests and farms,” Garrison said.

“Florida Republicans also won by huge margins, from the State House to the White House. But the real winners are Floridians who overwhelmingly supported conservative, common-sense candidates. As a result, Florida families and businesses will continue to thrive.”

Sapp will replace Bobby Payne, who termed out, in District 20. Sapp, of Green Cove Springs, beat Jamie Watts 74,114-24-152, with 94.5% of the votes counted. He will represent the southern part of the county and portions of Marion, Putnam and St. Johns counties.

Robert Alvero defeated Jim Hughes, 61,006-51,039, for the District 2 seat on the Clay County School Board in the only race without a clear-cut favorite. Both advanced in a run-off after neither earned at least 50% of the vote in the four-way primary on Aug. 20.

U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean, whose District 4 includes Clay, dispatched Democrat challenger LaShonda Holloway by getting 57.5% of 462,222 votes.

“I would not be going back to Congress without your continued confidence in me, and I vow to continue to represent the district in Congress with integrity and fight for policies that will put our community, our state and our nation back on the right track,” Bean said.

“I truly believe our best days are still ahead when we do the right thing, and that’s exactly what I will continue to fight for back in Washington.”

Florida voters were also asked to decide on six amendments, including two high-profile choices to legalize the recreational use of marijuana and a law that would prohibit restricting abortions before fetal viability or when necessary to protect a pregnant woman’s health,

Both marijuana and abortion amendments both failed.

While Amendment 3 to legalize recreational marijuana garnered 55.9% of the voters’ approval, it required at least 60% of the vote since it was a measure presented by the people.

Amendment 4 to expand the constitutional right to abortion also needed 60%, and it fell short with 57.1% of yes votes.

Voters also created partisan elections for school boards, the right to hunt and fish as a reasonable way to manage and control fish and wildlife, and home property tax exemptions that were adjusted for inflation. They also repealed public financing for political campaigns.

According to the state, more than 5 million registered voters cast ballots during early voting, and another 2.8 million vote-by-mail ballots were counted (with 740,240 ballots still not returned). In Clay County, 74,934 people voted early between Oct. 22 and Nov. 1 and another 20,544 voted by mail. With 61.29% of ballots already in, only 38.71% of all registered voters were eligible to vote during Tuesday’s General Election.

Chambless said the number of early votes set county records. There were 94,608 votes before the 2020 General Election, including 34,561 vote-by-mail ballots during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Republicans made up a significant early voting block with 48,112 ballots cast. Democrats cast 13,386, followed by No Party Affiliation with 11,633 and Others with 1,802.

With 127,763 of 155,957 ballots cast, voter turnout was 81.92% — the second highest in Clay County history. The more significant percentage was recorded in 1992, at 87.4%, when Florida voters were asked if local and state politicians should be limited to term limits.

Donald Trump earned 68.93% of Clay County’s votes. He went on to clinch the presidential election by early Wednesday morning by sweeping swing states Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin, Arizona and North Carolina in the General Election.