Nocco Advances, Fiorentino Gets Unseated in Today’s Primary

The Pasco County school district will soon have a new leader.

Incumbent Superintendent Heather Fiorentino was unseated by Republican challenger Kurt Browning in today’s primary race. Browning captured 20,022 of the votes cast in the race to Fiorentino’s 8,360. Kenneth Benson had 2,184 votes in his favor.

Browning will now face Kat Lambert in the Nov. 6 general election.

Despite Fiorentino’s landslide loss to Browning, other Pasco County incumbents fared well with voters. Sheriff Chris Nocco, State Rep. Richard Corcoran, Property Appraiser Mike Wells and incumbent county commissioners all hung on to win a thumbs up from voters.

According to the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Office’s unofficial results, a total of 49,477 ballots were cast in the primary. Of that number, an estimated 31,480 voters were Republican, 13,609 Democrat and 4,388 had no party affiliation. Pasco has an estimated 301,316 voters.

“While I dream of lines at polling places, turnout is 3.2% or over 10,000 votes higher today when compared with 2008 Primary,” Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley wrote on his Twitter feed.

With 110 of 110 precincts reporting, here are the results of today’s primary in Pasco:

Republican Ballots

UNITED STATES SENATOR

• Connie Mack 14,883
• Mike McCalister 5,042
• Marielena Stuart 2,340
• Dave Weldon 6,099
• George LeMieux - Withdrawn

STATE SENATOR DISTRICT 17

• John Korsak 1,949
• John Legg 9,991
• Rob Wallace 2,310

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 36

• Mike Fasano 7,481
• Michael Kennedy 614
• James Mathieu 908

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 37

• Richard Corcoran 9,545
• Strother Hammond 1,914  

SHERIFF

• Roger Fortney 1,883
• Chris Nocco 26,377  
• Maurice Radford 2,677                  

PROPERTY APPRAISER

• Walter Price  6,870
• Mike Wells 23,539  

SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

• Kenneth W. Benson 2,184
• Kurt S. Browning 20,022  
• Heather Fiorentino 8,360

COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 1

• Ron Oakley 14,363
• Rachel O'Connor 14,352
• Ted Schrader 17,263 

COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 3

•  Randy Evans 4,095
• Chris Gregg 5,338  
• Joshua Josiah Griffin 2,980  
• Karen King 4,107  
• Kathryn Starkey 12,519  

COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 5

• Bill Gunter 22,262
• Jack Mariano 23,004

 Democrat Ballots

UNITED STATES SENATOR

• Glenn A. Burkett 3,277
• Bill Nelson 10,134

Nonpartisan School Board Race

MEMBER SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 2

• Joanne Hurley 29,725
• Don Stephenson 13,770

For a complete look at today’s races, visit the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections website.