Janet Barek defeats Ruthie Schlabach

By John Labriola - Conservative government watchdog Janet Barek achieved a stunning upset victory over liberal County Commissioner Ruthie Schlabach on Tuesday, defeating her by just 750 votes countywide in an election in which Barek was outspent by a factor of nearly 20 to 1. 

"I really think people wanted a change, and a lot of people saw me and they saw that I was honest with the people," Barek said. 

Schlabach had $72,740 in contributions to Barek's $3,261. But voters had soured on Schlabach's unpopular liberal record, which her lopsided financial advantage couldn't overcome.

Elected to the County Commission in 2020 promising to be a conservative, Schlabach proved to be a liberal once she joined the board. In 2022, she cast the deciding vote to allow annual LGBT Pride displays in the county libraries, which were canceled anyway by library administrators under intense public pressure. In 2023, she cast the deciding vote for a whopping 18 percent tax increase. 

Barek, who also was elected Republican State Committeewoman on Tuesday, is involved in many civic organizations throughout Citrus County, including the Beverly Hills Civic Association, the Nature Coast Republican Club and the Citrus Springs Civic Association. She has worked as a school teacher and is married with three children, nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She is a pro-life Christian and is opposed to taxpayer-funded LGBT propaganda.

Schlabach's failed campaign was just one example Tuesday of how massive war chests don't necessarily translate into votes. 

Sheriff Mike Prendergast outraised opponent David Vincent by a 2 to 1 margin, with a mammoth $207,821 in contributions to Vincent's $108,000. But he was resoundingly defeated, getting only 36.64 percent to Vincent's 63.36 percent. Prendergast's humiliating loss came after a series of missteps including requesting a 79 percent budget increase this year when commissioners were asking departments to hold increases to 3 percent. Last year, he lost significant conservative support when he appeared in Facebook posts to side with the Biden administration's treatment of January 6 political prisoners.

Other winners on Tuesday included Scott Hebert for Superintendent of Schools, County Commissioner Jeff Kinnard, and Elections Supervisor Mo Baird. Mike Belkin was elected Republican State Committeeman.

Ken Frink got the most votes in the School Board race, with 45.66 percent. He will face a Nov. 5 runoff against Victoria Smith, who earned 24.17 percent.

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