Jamaican candidates see mixed results in Florida primaries

Jamaicans running in various elections in Florida on primary day, August 20, came away with mixed results.

The most high-profile race – that for the United States Senate – saw Jamaican Stanley Campbell coming up short in seeking to win the Democratic primary.

In a three-person race, Campbell finished second with 213,596 votes for 19.6 per cent of the total votes cast.

Debbie Mucarsel-Powell emerged the winner of the Democratic primary with 746,837, or 68.5 per cent of the votes.

Brain Rush finished a distant third, securing 72,940 votes, or 6.7 per cent of the votes cast.

Jamaicans who were successful in yesterday’s primary elections include Dr Jeff Holness, who won for School Board 5 in Broward County; Alexandra Davis, who is now commissioner-elect for Broward County District 8, and Mark Douglas, who will now take on the incumbent mayor for the city of Sunrise in November.

There are several other Jamaicans who will contest the November 5 elections, including Denise Grant, who is running to become mayor of Lauderhill.

Jamaican Tamar Hamilton came up short in seeking to win her primary for a judgeship in Broward County group 25.

Campbell was seeking to win the Democratic primary to take on incumbent US Senator Rick Scott, who won his Republican primary.

Campbell, who boasts Jamaican heritage, had tossed his hat in the ring to try and win the Democratic Party’s primary to run for the US Senate seat currently held by Republican Rick Scott.

Campbell said he decided to run because he believes he is the best candidate to take on Scott and beat him.

“I bring a wealth of experience to this race, and I know that I will be able to beat the current sitting Republican senator,” he had said prior to the primary.

Campbell credited the influence of his Jamaican father and the Jamaican culture for his decision to give back to his community.

The owner of his own business as well as three golf courses in Florida and North Carolina, Campbell had loaned his campaign US$1 million to kick-start his run.

According to his bio, he received his education from the Miami-Dade public school system and furthered his studies at Florida A&M University (FAMU). At just 19 years old, while at FAMU, he created the data reduction algorithm and aero analysis for the Voyager 2 spacecraft, which is the only spacecraft to visit Uranus and Neptune.

On graduation, he embarked on a military career by becoming a US Navy pilot and test pilot, later assuming command over the Navy’s primary airborne communications platform, TACAMO. His expertise in mathematics and physics, combined with this wealth of experience, ultimately resulted in his appointment to NASA’s Executive Advisory Board during the George H.W. Bush administration.

This was his first foray into elected politics.

editorial@gleanerjm.com