74 votes.
That’s how many votes it took for St. Pete Beach District Three commissioner Marvin Shavlan to win re-election. Shavlan won re-election with 53.9% of the votes.
His opponent, Brooke Anderson, received 438 votes.
“Logic and reason prevailed,” Shavlan said shortly after the results posted. His opponent’s husband, Jim Anderson, is embroiled in a costly lawsuit against the city. Anderson ran for the District Three seat in 2008. He lost by 47 votes to Chris Leonard, who stepped down in 2010.
When the Gabber called Ms. Anderson for comment on the results, her husband told the Gabber his wife did not wish to comment and disconnected the call.
North of Shavlan in District One, even fewer votes – 66 – separated the top two candidates. Lorraine Huhn, former chairperson of Save Our Little Village, received 315 votes to incumbent Al Halpern’s 249 votes. Deborah Edney received 231.
This was Edney’s second bid for a seat on the commission. She lost to Halpern in 2008. In that election, Halpern had over 67% of the vote. Ms. Edney did not return the Gabber’s call before the paper went to press.
Because none of the three contenders for District One received over half of the votes, the top two candidates – Huhn and Halpern – will square off in a runoff election on March 13.
Huhn thanked her supporters and told the Gabber she intended to “move forward.” Halpern said the results surprised him but hoped to get the support of Edney’s voters.
Huhn and Shavlan co-hosted a post election party at Agave Lounge; Mayor Steve McFarlin and Vice-Mayor Bev Garnett both attended. Halpern’s post-election party took place at Riptides; Commissioner Jim Parent attended.
Watch the Gabber for continuing coverage of the St. Pete Beach runoff.
Final Results
District One: 795 votes
Lorraine Huhn, 315 votes (39.62%)
Al Halpern (Incumbent), 249 votes (31.32%)
Deborah Edney, 231 votes (29.06%)
District Three: 950 votes
Marvin Shavlan (Incumbent), 512 votes (53.89%)
Brooke Anderson, 438 votes (46.11%)
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