published: Friday, August 17, 2012

Board battle will continue in November

Tavares

GREG JONES | Staff Writer

gregjones@dailycommercial.com

There will be a newcomer on the Lake County School Board.

In the District 1 race, Bill Mathias, a U.S. Army veteran, defeated Jimmy Nussbaumer in Tuesday night's nonpartisan primary. Mathias received almost 72 percent of the vote. Mathias praised his opponent, calling him a good person.

Mathias said he believed his private sector experience as a business owner appealed to voters.

"A business approach is the core of my campaign, because I have 30 years of experience in the private sector, and I started my business with $5,000, and you don't last that long unless you are fiscally responsible," Mathias said.

For the school board District 2 Seat, Jim Miller got more votes than fellow board member and Chairperson Rosanne Bran-deburg, but not enough to win outright. Miller, who won 49.1 percent of the vote, will face Brandeburg, who won 35.1 percent, in the Nov. 6 general election. The third candidate in the race, Leesburg bail bondsman Pernell Mitchell, got 15.8 percent.

Miller, who couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday night, won the District 1 Seat in August of 2010. Due to the redistricting, Miller lives in the new District 2 and decided to run in his new district as opposed to serving out the final two years of his current term. Miller will resign his District 1 Seat effective at midnight on Nov. 19th if elected and will begin representing District 2 on Nov. 20.

For the school board District 4 race, incumbent Debbie Stivender won 42.6 percent of the vote and will face second-place vote getter T. Lowe, who captured 29.1 percent, in the fall election. The third candidate in this race, Cheryl Thomas, won 28.2 percent of the vote.