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Politics

Race for only vacant seat too close to call

By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK
Published November 8, 2006

TAMPA - The race to fill the Hillsborough County School Board's lone vacancy was too close to call with all the precincts counted late Tuesday.

Civic activist April Griffin's lead over veteran educator Kenneth Allen was so small a recount may be needed to determine the winner.

With more than 236,000 ballots cast for the at-large seat being vacated by retiring Chairwoman Carolyn Bricklemyer, the two were separated by fewer than 1,000 votes. State law requires a recount if the difference is one-half percent of the votes or less.

Having finished the precinct tally, election workers were turning their attention to about 2,700 uncounted absentee votes that might swing the result.

"I am still biting my nails," Griffin said at 11 p.m., shortly after moving ahead for the first time. "I knew it would be close, but I never expected it to be this close."

Reached earlier in the night, Allen said he also expected a tight race.

Allen, 57, retires this month as the district's director of adult and community education. He has stressed increasing student safety and better mentoring of new teachers.

Griffin, 37, is a former business owner who is pursuing a degree in mass communications. She has called for more programs for students who are not college bound, and for more professional operations in business-oriented departments.

[Last modified November 8, 2006, 01:36:03]