CLAY COUNTY – Four candidates came into Tuesday’s Primary Election believing one would likely leave as the uncontested winner for the District 2 seat on the Clay County School Board.

However, for candidates Robert Alvero and Jim Hughes, the campaigns will continue until the General Election on Nov. 5 since none captured a 50% plus one winning margin.

Alvero got the most votes with 8,289, but with only 30.14% of the total – or 5,464 votes short of a majority – he will return in three months to face Hughes, who got 6,726 votes (24.45%.)

All four candidates ran as nonpartisans.

Other races, however, were decided.

Erin Skipper will represent Clay County as the Republican Executive Committeewoman after she earned 11,807 votes. Tanya Kacsan finished second with 4,243, while Helana Cormier had 3,149 in third.

Florida is a closed primary state, which means only Republicans are allowed to vote for Republicans in lead-up elections, and Democrats are allowed to vote for Democrats. Republicans and Democrats, however, were allowed to vote in no party-affiliated races.

In other races, despite winning the races in Clay and Nassau counties for a seat on the 4th Judicial Circuit, Nancy Cleaveland lost her chance to be a judge to Ashley Cox by a resounding margin in Duval. Cox, the daughter of the former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice, won 88,685-75,302.

With 99% reporting, Green Cove Springs resident Judson Sapp was safely ahead of Jamie Watts, 3,621-1,427, for the Republican nomination for the newly-drawn Florida House District 20 seat to replace Bobby Payne (R-Palatka), who will term out in November. Sapp will go against Democrat Tony Connolly of Palatka in the November General Election. District 20 comprises Clay, St. Johns, Putnam and Marion counties.

With 98% of the vote counted, Florida Sen. Rick Scott easily won the Republican nomination to the General Election, beating his closest competitor by more than 1.14 million votes. At the same time, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell wrapped up the Democrat nomination by beating second-place Stanley Campbell, 746,837-213,596.

The General Election ballot suddenly has more clarity. In addition to the race for Clay County Sheriff between incumbent Michelle Cook and former Sheriff Darryl Daniels, there are six constitutional amendments — two of which have attracted national attention.

One would legalize the recreational use of marijuana; the other would expand abortion access until fetal viability, generally considered about 24 weeks.