Kelly Hayes
Oldsmar Mayor Eric Seidel lost re-election Tuesday evening to Oldsmar City Council member Dan Saracki.
Saracki collected 53% of the vote, while Seidel mustered 47%, with 100% precincts reporting.
Saracki has served on the Oldsmar City Council for seven years, running his campaign on the promise to “spend taxpayer’s dollars on programs that directly benefit Oldsmar citizens,” according to his campaign site.
“I do not agree with the density increase and out of control growth that our city is currently proposing,” Saracki wrote in a campaign Facebook post. “As your next Mayor, I promise to protect Oldsmar and ensure smart growth.”
Seidel served two stints on City Council — one from 2007-2009 and again from 2015-2019 — and was previously elected Mayor in 2019.
The garnered endorsements from influential local figures, including Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and Pinellas County Commission Chair Dave Eggers, while Saracki earned grassroots support from the local firefighter’s union.
Seidel ran on building up Oldsmar’s downtown, improving local stormwater infrastructure, and getting the community back to normal post-pandemic. On his campaign site, Siedel added that he would also like to “see the new Black-Box theater through to completion and finish the re-building of the BMX track.”
Because Saracki entered the race for Mayor, his Council seat was up for grabs on Tuesday. The race included Doug Bevis and Jarrod Buchman, with Buchman coming out on top.
Buchman won election to the open seat with 55% of the vote. Bevis trailed behind with 45% of the vote.
Buchman, a national business director in the health services industry, was endorsed by former Oldsmar Mayor and Council members Jerry Beverland. He ran on the platform of smart growth, preserving the town’s character. He also emphasized the environment and veteran support.
Bevis previously served as Oldsmar Mayor from 2013 through 2019. Before that, he served on the City Council.
