Nathan Boyles comes out on top of 8-candidate GOP Primary field in HD 3 Special Election

Former Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles has won the Republican Primary in House District 3.

He came out on top of a field of eight candidates and will now advance to a June 10 election against Democrat Dondre Wise. The winner of that race will succeed former Rep. Joel Rudman, who resigned his seat to make an ultimately unsuccessful run for Congress.

With all early votes in for Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties, Boyles led in both parts of the district with a combined 44% of the vote. Former Jay Mayor Shon Owens had less than 24% most from Santa Rosa. Mental health advocate Cindy Smith had more than 10% support, while Assistant State Attorney Hayden Hudson had just under 9%. Former Okaloosa County Commission candidate Wade Merritt received about 6% of the vote. Milton veteran Jamie Lee Wells won over 4%. Okaloosa County Republican Club President Rena McQuaig and Assistant State Attorney Joshua Sik each received under 2%.

Boyles raised the most outside contributions in the race, reporting more than $151,000 in contributions and spending nearly $111,000 as of March 27. He has also secured endorsements from Jimmy Patronis, the front-runner for a congressional Special Election in Florida’s Panhandle the same day as the Primary, and from major lobbies in Tallahassee including the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Americans for Prosperity.

Boyles has run on a law-and-order message.

“We are a nation of laws and we must be an active partner in working with President (Donald) Trump and law enforcement in securing our southern border, ending taxpayer incentives that encourage illegal immigration, and deport illegal aliens caught in Florida,” Boyles said. “We must always stand for the rule of law and keep our communities safe and stand up for Americans first, and always.”

Owens, meanwhile, pulled in about $80,000 in contributions and supplemented that with $41,000 in candidate loans. Based on the last reporting period, he spent more than any candidate in the race, upward of $120,000.

Owens had to resign his seat as Mayor in order to run, and left that office Friday. He also announced endorsements from former U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller and most of the Santa Rosa County Commission, with the race characterized in local media as an Okaloosa-Santa Rosa turf war, even as Owens’ own residency has been called into question, something he addressed in a campaign video.

“I’m standing here at my home in Jay, the one that I built with my own bare hands 25 years ago,” Owens said.

“I’ve spent my entire life in Jay. As you can see, I live right behind Pittman building supply, which brings me to the second lie, that I’m against Second Amendment rights. I’m standing here inside Pittman Building Supply, where I’ve legally sold firearms to the community under this federal firearms license I’ve held for the past 15 years. The third lie questions my stance on illegal immigration and E-Verify. I’m standing here in front of the office of two companies I own. Both of these companies are legally required to use E-Verify, and we follow that requirement strictly.”

Rudman, for his part, endorsed Hudson. So did former U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, an Ocala Republican who used to represent part of Northwest Florida. Hudson spent more than $31,000 on the race, and reported more than $27,000 in contributions plus a $10,000 candidate loan to fuel his candidacy.

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