FORT PIERCE — Three candidates will face off in a Nov. 4 special election to fill the open seat on the City Commission, with a possible Jan. 13 runoff if no candidate receives a majority of the vote the first time around. Early voting is to run from Oct. 25 to Nov. 1.
The filing deadline for the District 2, Seat 2 race ended at noon Aug. 22. While five candidates filed, only three successfully qualified to run, according to the St. Lucie County Supervisor of Elections website.
The three candidates who qualified are two veterans of local politics and one newcomer.
Donna Benton, a local real estate broker, former mayoral candidate and wife of former City Commissioner and Mayor Bob Benton, is making another run at city office. She last ran in 2020, receiving 47% of the vote but failing to unseat incumbent Mayor Linda Hudson, who succeeded her husband as mayor in 2012 and remains in office.
“As first lady of Fort Pierce for nine years alongside my husband of 44 years, Bob Benton, I have been driven to see our city thrive — to become a vibrant, respected community rather than the ‘stepchild’ to our neighbors,” Benton’s biography on the supervisor of elections website reads. “My priorities are clear: reduce the city’s deficit, encourage responsible and sustainable growth, address the real issues our residents face and make Fort Pierce a city we are all proud to call home.”
Chris Dzadovsky, a Realtor and longtime member of the St. Lucie County Commission who was defeated in 2024 by challenger James Clasby by a 46%-54% margin, is hoping to make a return to elected office in Fort Pierce. Dzadovsky, who served on the County Commission for 16 years, recently applied to become Fort Pierce city manager, but did not advance to the interview stage due to not meeting the requirement of a master’s degree.
“I have always believed public service must be rooted in integrity, transparency and care for our community’s most vulnerable,” Dzadovsky said in a news release. “As commissioner, I worked every day to safeguard children, strengthen budgets and support private investment that grows jobs while easing the burden on taxpayers. I’m ready to bring that same commitment to City Hall.”
The political newcomer of the group is Jaimebeth Galinis, who is senior director of customer experience and operations at Fortune 500 medical-technology company BD.
“Jaimebeth believes Fort Pierce needs change — and she is ready to deliver smart solutions and strong leadership for a brighter future,” read Galinis’ supervisor of elections website biography.
The two candidates who did not qualify, according to the supervisor of elections website, were Michael Champagnie and Jean Eddy Leroy.
The qualifying candidates each hope to fill the seat vacated by former City Commissioner James Taylor.
Taylor’s resignation took effect Aug. 2. He was arrested July 24 and charged with 24 felony counts related to an alleged explicit internet relationship with a teenage girl. Prosecutors allege the yearslong relationship included Taylor sending nude images to the girl when she was 12 years old.
About 30 minutes before the noon filing deadline, Taylor posted a $180,000 bond and left the St. Lucie County Jail, after more than four weeks in custody. The bond amount was lowered at an Aug. 21 hearing in a deal that included requirements for Taylor to be under house arrest with GPS monitoring.
Until a new commissioner is elected, the City Commission will have just four members. During that time, any votes that split 2-2 will fail.
The city has a number of important votes on the immediate horizon, including decisions on a new police chief and whether to keep City Manager Richard Chess, who is approaching the end of an initial six-month evaluation period.
The special election to replace Taylor will be open only to voters from District 2. In Fort Pierce, only the mayor is elected by voters from both districts.
Wicker Perlis is TCPalm’s Watchdog Reporter for St. Lucie County. You can reach him at wicker.perlis@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Three candidates file in Fort Pierce special election to fill seat vacated by James Taylor
Reporting by Wicker Perlis, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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