Santos stuns Lockhart in Seminole County Commission upset

After Democrat Charline Santos found out she won in the Seminole County Commission race she burst into tears. Santos pulled in a total of 98,858 votes, or 51.42% of the votes over incumbent Amy Lockhart’s 93,398 votes, or 48.58% with more than 99% of the vote counted. This win makes her the first African American woman on the board of Seminole County Commissioners. 

Lockhart had been on the prevailing side of contentious votes to end the county’s supplementing fluoride to the water supply, and closing significant portions of the county’s bus system after testing the Uber-like Scout system for 2 months.

At Santos’ childhood home, her friends and family gathered to eat jerk chicken, mac and cheese, rice and broccolini, all Jamaican style, as they waited for the poll results to come out. 

“Santos, Santos, Santos…” was chanted throughout the night as the results neared. 

Santos said that her main priority in this upcoming term is to put people first. 

“I am ready to work,” Santos said. “And I am ready to bring everyone with me.” 

Santos couldn’t contain her emotion, as her family and friends embraced her after the win, “I don’t even know what to do with myself.”