Jones wins election to third term
Franklin County Commissioner Ricky Jones easily won his bid for-re-election in District 1 Tuesday, defeating challenger Russell Turner.
Jones, 53, of 258 Sago Drive in Eastpoint, tallied 492 voters, or about 63 percent, to Turner, 68, who resides at 419 US Highway 98 in Eastpoint. who received 292 votes, of about 37 percent, in the universal primary in which all voters, regardless of party affiliation, could vote for the two Republicans. Jones is now poised for a third term.
“I am thankful that I can continue to represent District 1,” Jones said. “I don’t take that lightly; I never have. Voting is part of the process and I appreciate their support
“I hope people can tell that the county is doing its best to address issues that are long overdue and we’ll continue to move in that direction,” he said.
Jones posted a better showing among Eastpoint voters, where he garnered 72.8 percent of the vote. On St. George Island, Jones’ support was at 52.5 percent.
In the race for Republican state committeeman, Rick Watson defeated challenger Ed Helms, as he received 1,002 votes, or better than 72 percent, to the challenger’s 386 votes, or about 28 percent.
By overwhelming margins of better than 80 percent, Franklin County Republicans gave their blessing to incumbent Rick Scott for U.S. senator; and to incumbent Neal Dunn for U.S. representative; and Democrats backed Debbie Murcasel-Powell for U.S. senator, and Daryl Parks for state senator.
Turnout in the election was less than 32 percent, not surprising given that there were no countywide candidates running.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.