Two third-party candidates shake up 2024 commission elections

Two third-party candidates last week pre-qualified to run for the Citrus County Commission, potentially upending next year's commission elections.

Last Monday, retired U.S. Army Major John Woods of Citrus Springs, a member of the Constitution Party of Florida, jumped into the race for the District 3 seat currently held by Commissioner Ruthie Schlabach. 

"As a Citrus County Commissioner, I will subject every proposal and expenditure to one test: Do the proposals and expenditures benefit the citizens, taxpayers and voters of Citrus County?" Woods said in a statement, adding that he is "not for sale" and "not beholden to anyone."

A day after Woods' announcement, Paul Grogan of Inverness, who ran for District 2 last year, filed as a no-party affiliation candidate for the District 5 seat held by Commissioner Holly Davis. 

Grogan said he wants to be "a conservative voice" for Citrus County to ensure responsible growth and protect local sovereignty by reexamining how the county interacts with federal agencies. 

Woods and Grogan must either pay the approximately $3,000 filing fee or collect about 1,200 petition signatures by the June filing deadline to secure a spot on the November 2024 ballot. 

Their entry closes the all-important August 2024 Republican primary elections for the two seats to Republican voters only, preventing Democrat voters from meddling in the selection of the GOP nominee, who is typically the heavy November favorite due to the party's massive voter registration advantage in Citrus.  

Schlabach and Davis have not yet announced their plans for next year. 

Stay tuned for much more on the 2024 elections in the weeks and months ahead. 

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