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The meeting grew chaotic, with Mayor Anne Huffman frequently sparring with residents. One resident was escorted out by police after refusing to sit. ....
HAINES CITY In a showdown reminiscent of 2017, incumbent Anne Huffman will face challenger Kenneth Kipp in a runoff election on May 4 for a seat on the Haines City Commission. Huffman defeated Kipp, then the incumbent, for the position four years ago. Like this year, the two competed against additional candidates in an initial election before heading to a runoff when they both failed to secure the 50% plus one threshold needed to secure the commission seat. After the election, Huffman would become the first Black woman to serve on the Haines City Commission. Kipp had previously served on the commission for one term. ....
3 incumbents lose their seats in Polk municipal elections Tuesday Three incumbents lost their seats in Tuesday s municipal election involving six cities in Polk. In Bartow, incumbent Commissioner James Clements was ousted in the election for at-large Seat 1, grabbing only 24.07% of the vote compared with 52.75% for the winner, Tanya Tucker. Sal Carter took 16.39% of the vote and Charlie Bittinger 6.8%. In Dundee, Commissioner Rukhsana Harper received 35.96% of the vote, losing to Mary Richardson with 64.04%. And in Lake Wales, incumbent Al Goldstein lost Seat 4 to challenger Kris Fitzgerald. The vote came down to a difference of only 32 ballots; Goldstein took 49.15% of the vote and Fitzgerald 50.85%. ....
Lake Alfred The town of Lake Alfred had two seats up for grabs on the ballot City Commission Seats 3 and 4. Three candidates were on the list for the two at-large seats, including Nancy Z. Daley. Daley took one of the seats with 42.93% of the vote. She has served on the Lake Alfred City Commission for 10 years including four terms as mayor and four terms as vice mayor. The other seat was taken by Mac Fuller, who will replace Charles Lake, who did not seek reelection. Fuller earned 35.54% of the vote. Joseph Hults Lake Wales Residents of Lake Wales had two City Commission seats on the ballot Tuesday, although only one featured an incumbent. ....