Mike Wright
It wasn’t even close, and Holly Davis isn’t going anywhere.
The first-term Commissioner easily defeated no-party upstart Paul Grogan to win re-election to Citrus County Commission, District 5.
Grogan, who aligned himself with John Labriola, a defeated Inverness City Council candidate known for his anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, rarely campaigned and never said why he was running against Davis.
Davis won with 76% of the vote.
Davis posted a thank you on her Facebook page.
“It’s been an honor to serve you these last four years, and am grateful for the opportunity to continue,” she said.
This wasn’t even a contest on paper. Davis had $85,000 in collections; nearly all of Grogan’s $5,189 came from his own pocket, and his biggest expense was the $2,929 ballot qualifying fee.
Plus, no no-party candidate had finished with more than 41% in a Citrus County race. Most received 20-30%.
Yet, many wondered whether an upset in the August Primary would carry over to District 5 in the General Election.
District 3 Commissioner Ruthie Davis Schlabach also thought she had an easy re-election path only to lose to Janet Barek, a cantankerous 74-year-old Citrus Springs woman who is a regular attendee at County Commission meetings.
One significant difference: Barek campaigned vigorously, showing up whenever candidates were invited.
Grogan, a merchant marine captain who spends eight months a year at sea, didn’t campaign in any traditional sense. Grogan did not participate in the Citrus County Chronicle’s election events, nor did he provide the newspaper any campaign information.
Grogan is a prolific Facebook hound, often posting dozens of times in a single day. The posts rarely get any traction.
Other than some yard signs scattered about and $1,000 in radio ads, Grogan didn’t make a single campaign move.
Grogan didn’t seem to have any specific platform. On his website, it reads: “He hopes to support responsible development and local autonomy in Citrus County, and additionally give back to his community and the world via this position, and through Rotary.”
The District 5 race was headed for a Republican Primary until Davis’ opponent, Jesse Rumson — known as “sedition panda” for wearing a giant bear costume head during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot — lost his ballot spot over a paperwork snafu.
Davis backers say Grogan was a plant designed to close the Primary to Republican voters only. They pointed out that Grogan did the same thing in 2022, running as a no-party candidate in County Commission District 2, closing the Primary to non-Republicans. He openly supported the Republican Primary winner, Diana Finegan, who easily won the General Election.
Davis, who is completing her year as Chair, is best known for being the architect behind the county’s first strategic plan. She also interacts frequently with citizens.
“You may not like my answers sometimes — all too often I’m as frustrated as you but it’s the legal reality of the situation — but you will always get the straight truth from me as to what we can accomplish together,” she said.
