Mills takes District 4 school board seat from Smith
The Ocala business owner defeated the Republican chair by a margin of nearly 19,000 votes in Tuesday's runoff.
By Adewale Fletcher ·
Mike Mills defeated Brigitte Smith in Tuesday's runoff election for the open Marion County School Board District 4 seat. Unofficial results from all 106 precincts show Mills capturing 78,999 votes, or 56.76 percent. Smith received 60,171 votes, or 43.24 percent. The victory margin stood at 18,828 votes according to the Marion County Supervisor of Elections.
Mills, an Ocala coffee shop owner and Navy veteran, replaces Nancy Thrower, who did not seek re-election. Smith, a 59-year-old operating room nurse and chair of the Marion County Republican Executive Committee, lost the nonpartisan race. The position carries a four-year term and a salary of approximately $50,000 per year. The Marion County Canvassing Board must certify the results before they become official.
The contest began with a four-way primary on Aug. 18. Mills led that field with 36.86 percent of the vote. Smith finished second with 30.84 percent. Because neither candidate secured a majority, they advanced to the Tuesday runoff. The race was open to all registered voters, though roughly 15 percent of countywide ballots left the District 4 line blank.
Mills served as a nuclear machinist's mate on submarines in the U.S. Navy from 2010 to 2017. He holds a bachelor's degree from Excelsior University and an MBA from Florida Atlantic University. He also teaches business as an adjunct professor at the College of Central Florida. Smith is a U.S. Army Nurse Corps veteran with nearly 35 years of experience in the operating room. The Christian Family Coalition Florida endorsed her candidacy.
Smith campaigned on a plan she called a Reading Revolution to boost third-grade literacy. She also proposed tighter oversight of construction contracts and zero tolerance policies for weapons and drugs. She pledged to move the Safe Schools department back under the Marion County Sheriff's Office. Mills did not campaign on a specific platform detailed in the reports, but his fundraising relied heavily on business contributions.
Campaign finance reports through Oct. 29 show Mills raised more money than Smith. Many of Mills' donors who gave the maximum $1,000 limit also gave to District 5 incumbent Sarah James. These donors include contractor Ken Ausley and Boyd Real Estate. Smith raised about 70 percent of her funds from individuals, many of whom are retirees. Smith was her own largest donor, contributing $6,000, while Mills contributed $2,500.
