Races on the ballot

It's time to go to the polls.

Maitland and Winter Park residents will cast votes on Tuesday for the 2010 primary election.

Many have already taken advantage of early voting, which began on Aug. 9 and runs through Sunday, Aug. 22.

Many of these seats will be filled on Tuesday, while others will have to wait until the Nov. 2 general election. A candidate must capture more than 50 percent of the vote or a runoff election is held.

Here's a recap of the races we've covered so far in this election season:

District 24

Incumbent Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas will go up against former Winter Springs Mayor Paul Partyka in the Democratic primary.

The Republican challengers include former Winter Park Commissioner Karen Diebel, former Ruth's Chris Steak House CEO Craig Miller, state Rep. Sandy Adams, Winter Park attorney Deon Long and naval officer Tom Garcia.

Former state House Rep. Suzanne Kosmas has been continually focusing efforts in small business, NASA, veteran's affairs, and public education. She is against oil drilling and is committed to supporting veterans. For more information, visit www.kosmas.house.gov

Paul Partyka says he has passion, enthusiasm and knowledge of the issues. Like Kosmas, Partyka wants health care reform and has been fighting for it since the early 1990s. But he says we need to make it better and more efficient to help manage the deficit. Visit www.paulpartykaforcongress.com.

Sandy Adams, a career Orange County Sheriff's deputy, has spent eight years in the Florida House for District 33. The Oviedo Republican says she has a record of proving what she says and voting conservative. She said Kosmas has total out-of-control spending. Visit www.sandyadams.com.

Karen Diebel, a former vice mayor and city commissioner of Winter Park, says she can take the discipline she used to reduce taxes and spending in Winter Park to Washington to do the same. Diebel is opposed to the health care reform and the Cap and Trade energy tax. Visit www.karendiebel.com.

Tom Garcia, a career naval officer, feels that he has the right tools to get the job done correctly. Garcia said he is completely against everything incumbent Kosmas has been doing, including her stimulus voting and flip-flop on "Obamacare". Visit www.tomgarciaforcongress.com.

Craig Miller, the former president and CEO of Ruth's Chris Steak House, says he is not a politician. Miller wants to reverse everything Kosmas has done in the last 18 months, particularly her flip-flop on "Obamacare". Visit www. craigmillerforcongress.com.

Republican Deon Long, an attorney who practices in Winter Park, has no elected office experience but said he's no stranger to the political process. He was appointed by former Governor Jeb Bush to serve on the board of the St. Johns River Water Management District from 1999 to 2007. Visit www.deonlong.com.

Orange County mayor

Six candidates are vying for the mayoral seat, and the Aug. 24 primary will pull out the major contenders for a run-off election on Nov. 2. It's unlikely that a candidate will get more than 50 percent of the vote on Aug. 24 to clinch the seat.

Orange County District 5 Commissioner Bill Segal, a Winter Park resident, is giving up the last two years of his term to run for mayor. Jobs will be his focus, he said, adding that the county's no vote for Innovation Way East was a big mistake. Visit billsegal.com.

Orange County District 3 Commissioner Linda Stewart voted against Innovation Way East because she felt the homes would be built on environmentally sensitive land. Parks, safety and bringing new industry would be the focus of her administration. Visit lindastewartformayor.com.

Tim Adams, who was in the U.S. Air Force, said he was elected to the Orange Soil and Water Conservation District board in a 2004 countywide election with 131,000 votes. Adams said he would take good care of senior citizens. Visit adamsformayoroforangecounty.com.

Former Orange County Commissioner Teresa Jacobs said she wants to be mayor because it's a fiscally critical time for the county. "For years … it was easier for Orange County to just keep expanding without being as fiscally accountable as we should be," she said. Visit teresaformayor.com.

Matthew Falconer, a west Orlando resident and a small business owner for 25 years, appeared in the news recently when he filed a lawsuit against the county for the SunRail deal. Falconer agreed that spending is one of the county's biggest issues. Visit matthewfalconer.com.

Orange County Commission District 5

In the Winter Park and Maitland area, former District 5 County Commissioner Ted Edwards, Maitland Mayor Doug Kinson and write-in candidate Robert Talley are vying for the County Commission District 5 seat.

A native Floridian, Edwards served as the District 5 Orange County commissioner from 1996 to 2004. He is partner at Orlando firm Foley & Lardner. If elected, Edwards said he wants to work on three things: bringing more high-tech businesses to Orlando, reducing county expenditures and maintaining public safety. Visit www.tededwardscampaign.com/

Kinson has been serving Maitland as the mayor since 2006. He said he recently helped bring Metavante Corporation to the Maitland area, which created 500 jobs. If elected, Kinson said he wants to help diversify the economy by expanding the medical industry and Research Park. Visit www.votefordougkinson.com/default.html

Orange County School Board District 1

Joie Cadle and Orange County schoolteacher Jackie Centeno are contenders for the School Board District 1 seat.

Bookkeeper by trade, incumbent School Board member Cadle said she brings a business perspective to the Board. She's been on the Board since 2002. If elected, Cadle has three goals: operational efficiency, accountability and making sure that every child in the school system learns. Cadle wants to find ways to save money by cutting overhead costs. Visit www.ocps.net/sb/Pages/District1.aspx

Centeno has worked for the Orange County Public School district since 1998 as a special education teacher. She said she's ahead of her opponent in terms of knowing what teachers want. Centeno has two things on her agenda: better communication between the public and the Board and implementing a uniform policy. Centeno said principals should be given the option to execute a uniform policy. Visit: www.jacquelinecentenoforocsb.com/

2010 Winter Park Political Mingle Straw Poll Results

U.S. Senator

Marco Rubio (R) 68%

Glenn A. Burkett (D) 2.5%

Jeff Greene (D) 2.5%

Kendrick B. Meek (D) 7%

Charlie Crist (NPA) 20%

U.S. Rep. District 7

John L. Mica (R) 85%

Heather Beaven (D) 15%

U.S. Rep. District 8

Alan Grayson (D) 28%

Peg Dunmire (T) 72%

U.S. Rep. District 24

Sandy Adams (R) 29%

Karen Diebel (R) 34%

Craig Miller (R) 14%

Suzanne Kosmas (D) 14%

Paul Partyka (D) 9%

Governor

Bill McCollum (R) 45%

Rick Scott (R) 28%

Alex Sink (D) 24%

Lawton "Bud" Chiles (NPA) 3%

Attorney General

Holly Benson (R) 26.5%

Pam Bondi (R) 34%

Jeff Kottkamp (R) 20%

Dave Aronberg (D) 7%

Dan Gelber (D) 9.5%

Chief Financial Officer

Jeff Atwater (R) 76%

Loranne Ausley (D) 17%

Ken Mazzie (NPA) 2%

Tom Stearns (NPA) 5%

Commissioner of Agriculture

Adam Putnam (R) 62%

Scott Maddox (D) 18%

Ira Chester (T) 14%

Thad Hamilton (NPA) 6%

State Sen. District 22

David Simmons 100%

State Rep. District 35

Dean Cannon (R) 77%

Amy Mercado (D) 15%

Juanita Virone (T) 8%

State Rep. District 38

Bryan Nelson (R) 81%

James "Heinie" Heinzelman (T) 19%

School Board Dist. 1

Joie Cadle 85%

Jacqueline Centeno 15%

County Mayor

Matthew Falconer 17%

Teresa Jacobs 39%

Bill Segal 44%

County Commission District 5

Ted Edwards 64%

Doug Kinson 36%

Questions

Do you support Amendment 4, which establishes that before a local government may adopt a new comprehensive land use plan, or amend a comprehensive land use plan, the proposed plan or amendment shall be subject to a vote of the electors of the local government by referendum?

Yes: 22%

No: 78%

Do you support Amendments 5 & 6, stating that unless otherwise required, Legislative and Congressional districts must be compact, as equal in population as feasible, and where feasible must make use of existing city, county and geographical boundaries?

Yes: 49.8%

No: 50.2%

Do you support Amendment 8, revising class size requirements for public schools, where the current limits on the maximum number of students assigned to each teacher in the public school classrooms would become limits on the average number of students assigned per class to each teacher, by specified grade grouping, in each public school?

Yes: 68%

No: 32%