Skip to main content

Audrey Gibson Wins State Senate Seat

9% Turnout In Race To Replace Sen. Tony Hill In Florida Senate Dist. 1

Former state Rep. Audrey Gibson easily won Tuesday's Democratic primary for a state Senate seat representing parts of Jacksonville, St. Johns, Flagler and Putnam counties.

Gibson won 62 percent of the vote in the four-candidate race. Former state Rep. Terry Fields was closest competitor, drawing just over 32 percent of the vote in Duval County and even smaller percentages in the southern counties.

Recommended Videos


Candidates Ramon Day and Leandrew Mills III split the rest of the votes.

Candidate Profiles:Senate District 1St. Johns Elections Chief Out Tuesday

Only 12,298 people voted in the special election to replace Sen. Tony Hill, who resigned to work in the administration of Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown. The senate district includes more than 600,000 residents.

No Republican qualified in the race, but write-in candidate Andrea Austin did qualify. On Wednesday, she withdrew from the race, according to Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland. That means no general election will needed in the race, which Holland said will save taxpayers $500,000.

"I am not worried about anything other than getting there and being a part of the process -- making sure my voice is heard, particularly on budgetary items," Gibson said.

Just under 10 percent of Duval County's registered voters cast ballots in the primary, and turnout was even lower in the other four counties.