INCUMBANTS HELL

Tuesday was election day in most of Polk County's municipalities; Lakeland and Winter Haven were two notable exceptions. This was the result of Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards' efforts to bring all of the various municipal entities across the county together to hold those elections on one day to save money for both her office and the cities.

It was a day that incumbants were sacked in several cities. Lake Wales saw two incumbant commissioners --- including the mayor --- defeated by newcomers who back a proposed rails-to-trails project that the incumbants had voted to kill earlier. One of the incumbants, Cliff Tonjes, had claimed that a "small group with a very narrow agenda" were wanting him out.

Seems like that "small group" turned out to be a majority when and where it counted...yesterday at the ballot box.

Bartow also saw one commissioner, 82-year-old Cal Adams, lose a bid for reelection to administrative consultant Brian Hinton. One of the other candidates, Gerald J. Cochran, lost his 14th campaign for the commission...and told the Lakeland Ledger that he would likely try again. The mayor of Eagle Lake, John Shamp, lost by 17 votes to RN and political newcomer Melinda Thomas.

And political newcomers also will make the majority in Mulberry, as two incumbants were defeated and a new mayor was elected.

Here are the complete results for all the county's municipal elections, courtesy of the SOE's office.