Judge Howard re-elected; Hawkins, Lyn go to runoff

Circuit Judge Ric Howard won re-election Tuesday night, shaking off challenger Rhonda Portwood and winning another six-year term.

The other race for circuit judge was headed for a runoff. Three lawyers were vying to take the seat that Barbara Gurrola, who did not seek re-election, now holds. To win outright on Tuesday, one of the candidates needed to earn 50 percent of the vote plus one.

But it did not seem that any candidate would reach that total, thus setting up a runoff in the Nov. 4 general election between the top two vote recipients - Sandy Hawkins and Denise Lyn.

That seat, known as Group 3, is based in Inverness. So is the Group 11 seat that Howard defended.

In other races:

Republican leaders

Lewis Dinkins will serve another four years as state committeeman for the Marion County Republican Executive Committee after beating former Ron Paul supporter Chris Thurow.

As state committeeman, Dinkins is liaison between Republican organizations in the county and the party in Tallahassee, and reports back about legislation that could affect Republicans.

This will mark Dinkins' second full term at the post.

Also Tuesday, Marguerite Cavanaugh was re-elected as Marion County REC state committeewoman, defeating Pat Santospirito.

State House District 21

Charles Van Zant was leading in the three-candidate Republican primary as late votes were counted. He was besting Chris France and Patricia "Pat" Freeman.

The winner will take on the Democrat, Linda Myers, in the general election.

District 21 includes eastern Marion County.

State House District 42

Republican H. Marlene O'Toole defeated Will Pruitt in the Republican primary. The district includes a tiny portion of south-central Marion.

O'Toole effectively takes the seat, though technically she must defeat two write-in candidates in November.