Wednesday, February 1, 2012
The Sunlake High graduate voted for the first time in Tuesday's primary. His family hopes Mitt Romney will bring about changes to make access to public services easier for people with disabilities.
For Troy Teegardin, the 2012 presidential election is personal. The 19-year-old Land O’ Lakes resident voted for the first time in Tuesday’s primary. His mother, Kelly Teegardin, accompanied him. Both Teegardins voted for Mitt Romney, they said. “I agree with a lot of things he says,” Troy Teegardin said. Voting for the first time “is very exciting,” he added. “It’s an important race,” said Kelly Teegardin, a clinical instructor in the University of South Florida’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. “I’ve not really seen the people I serve really benefit at all” from the current public services system, she said. Troy, she said, is a perfect example. The 2011 Sunlake High graduate has cerebral palsy. “He has a disability…
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Some called it "the turning point" of the election.
Mitt Romney supporters from all over the Bay area turned out at the Tampa Convention Center Tuesday. They were there to hear from the candidate they hoped would win Florida. And they weren’t disappointed. “This was the turning point,” Michael Baum of South Tampa said. Rachel and Nathan Crane of Lutz brought their five children to the convention center for the event. Though they were unable to get into the ballroom to see Romney’s speech live, the family gathered with about 50 others in an adjacent ballroom to watch a live feed of his speech. “We’re really excited about Romney,” Rachel Crane said. “He has the experience in business and politics.” The crowd was pretty quiet as they waited for Romney to appear. Small groups clustered, …
Mitt Romney earns a convincing victory over Newt Gingrich and other Republican nominees in Florida's Presidential Preference Primary.
Mitt Romney won the Florida Presidential Preference Primary on Tuesday, earning the state's 50 delegates and distancing himself from Newt Gingrich as the Republican front-runner for 2012. The Associated Press projected Romney's commanding victory shortly after 8 p.m. when the final polls closed in Florida's Panhandle. The former Massachusetts governor had taken 46 percent of the vote to 31 percent for Gingrich after returns from 99 percent of the polls were in. Rick Santorum had 13 percent, and Ron Paul 7 percent. "Florida, you're the best," a victorious Romney told a crowd gathered at his primary night celebration at the downtown Tampa Convention Center. "It’s disappointing," said Land O' Lakes resident Kevin Sakser, who backed Gingrich …
Mitt Romney and his supporters are gathering tonight at the Tampa Convention Center.
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Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Turnout is steady at the Land O' Lakes Recreation Complex.
Voters are arriving in waves at the Land O' Lakes Recreation Complex this morning to cast their ballots in the Republican Presidential Primary. There was the 7 a.m. rush, then between 10 and 20 trickled in every half hour or so, Elections Deputy Steve Terell said. "It's still pretty steady, even with the early voting," Terell said. The Land O' Recreation Complex is "one of the biggest precincts in the area," Terell said. David Lloyd said he voted for Mitt Romney. "I've done my research," Lloyd said. Bryan Clayborne said he voted for Newt Gingrich. "He stands for what I believe," Clayborne said. Clayborne said he likes Rick Santorum, but feels Santorum doesn't have the backing. He had to choose between Gingrich and Romney—the two "machines…
Activity is evident at precincts throughout the Land O' Lakes area.
Click through the gallery to see scenes from today's Presidential Preference Primary in Land O' Lakes. If you have shots to add, just upload them to the gallery.
Rain not expected to hinder Land O’ Lakes voters today.
Republican voters should expect smooth sailing at the polls today – at least as far as the weather is concerned. According to forecasters at the National Weather Service’s Ruskin office, Land O’ Lakes residents can expect a partly cloudy day with highs in the upper 70s and lows around 50. Rain isn’t in the forecast, said meteorologist Richard Rude. Rude said the rest of the week is shaping up to be nice, as well. Wednesday’s weather is expected to nearly mirror Tuesday’s, but highs could climb a bit. Inland areas may see highs in the low 80s on Wednesday. A slight chance of rain does creep into the picture on Thursday. Rude says chances for rain will only come in at 20 percent and they’ll stick around through the weekend. For a complete …
Find out what Pasco County voters need to know before going to the polls today.
If you’re heading out to cast a vote in today’s Presidential Preference Primary, there are some things you might want to keep in mind. According to Brian Corley, Pasco County’s supervisor of elections, there are some things all voters need to know before they go to the polls. Here they are: "Reminding everyone what's required on election day ensures a smoother voting experience," said Corley in a media release. "Our goal is to provide the best service possible and a flawless, transparent election to the citizens of Pasco County." To find out more about voting in Pasco County, visit Corley’s website.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Today's rally was a last-minute push to get undecided voters into Newt Gingrich's camp.
With less than 24 hours before polls open for Florida's Republican primary some voters remained in the balance about which candidate to support. Carrollwood resident Judy Burns said deciding on which Republican candidate to cast her vote for has been harder than in previous years. "It's been really hard to figure out who to support," Burns said. But Newt Gingrich's stance on abolishing capital gains taxes brought Burns out to the Tampa International Jet Center where Gingrich held a grassroots rally on Monday afternoon. "I trade in stocks and have a couple homes here," Burns said. "So it hurts me in a lot of different ways. I always thought a flat tax would be more fair." Burns isn't alone. People like John Leach stood in line waiting to …
Officials are urging registered Republicans to get out and cast their ballots.
As the clock ticks down toward the Presidential Preference Primary in Florida, Pasco County’s supervisor of elections isn’t expecting throngs of people at the polls. “I’m predicting a 25 percent turnout for the Presidential Preference Primary, which sadly is lower than I as the Supervisor of Elections for Pasco County would like to see,” said elections supervisor Brian Corley. The low turnout prediction, however, could be good news for voters that do turn out to the polls. “Since we have seen an increase in early voting participation, and vote by mail, election day voting should be very smooth and seamless for the voters,” Corley said. Even so, Corley is disappointed by what he anticipates seeing in regard to polling numbers. “It’s been …
Rosie Heim
5:31 pm on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Way to go Kelly, love what you do and happy you'r speaking out for those who cannot. Rosie Heim Retired SRP Pasco County Schools more ›