Nassau County Commission incumbents face opposition, two School Board races decided

With qualifying closed as of noon Friday, the ballot for several local Nassau County elections is now set.

District 2 County Commissioner A.M. Huppmann has drawn two Republican challengers, Douglas Greene and Laura Dotson. Through May, Greene led the way in fundraising, reporting double Huppmann’s haul of $12,300.

The district covers Nassauville, O’Neil and the southern half of Amelia Island, and will be decided in the August 18 Primary. Because no Democrat filed for the race, the Primary will be open to all voters, regardless of party affiliation.

Meanwhile, Republican Cheryl Plaugher has qualified to challenge sitting Nassau County Commission Chair Alyson McCollough in the August Primary for District 4, which covers a large, rural area in the county’s northwest.

Plaugher has raised more than $10,000 for her challenge, while McCollough, who qualified the morning of the deadline, has yet to report any fundraising.

In Nassau County School Board District 5, which includes Callahan and West Yulee, two-term incumbent Lisa Braddock has drawn a challenge from Angel Cole.

School board races are nonpartisan, but according to Cole’s candidate bio, she is a member of a local Republican group. So far, she has raised $4,245 compared to Braddock’s $2,500.

In Districts 1 and 3, incumbents Shannon Hogue and Joe Zimmerman have been elected without opposition.

Fernandina Beach voters will also elect a new Mayor and a new City Commissioner. Incumbent Commissioners Genece Minshew and Timothy Poynter are squaring off in the mayoral race, while Scott Inglis, Leonard Kreger and Staci McMonagle have qualified for the Seat 4 City Commissioner race.

There is also a municipal referendum on the August Primary ballot to limit paid parking to Centre, Ash and Alachua Street, which the city recently enacted over vocal objections from residents. The referendum would not overturn paid parking downtown, but would prevent it from being implemented for beach access lots and other areas of town.