His and other seats open to candidates
BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
County Commissioner Danny Riddick has announced he will not seek reelection this year.
He was emotional when making the announcement last week, saying it was a tough decision because he enjoys the job.
“I’ll just tell you, God has blessed me. He’s helped me find favor with the people. He’s kept me in office for a long time. I enjoy it, but I’ve got eight grandkids that I love more than anything in the world, and so with that — out of respect for this job — I just want it out there I will not be seeking reelection. So just please be praying that God will put the next one he wants in line,” he said.
Riddick won the seat in 2010 and has held it since then, surpassing his father Joe’s 12 years of service on the board.
Open seats and salaries
Riddick represents the county’s fourth district, which includes the Hampton area, Theressa and the south. District 2, represented by Kenny Thompson on the county commission and Gayle Nicula on the school board, is also up for election this year. That district is northwestern Bradford, including part of Lawtey.
The school board also has elections for the first and fifth districts. Those seats are held by Sheila Cummings and Lynn Melvin. District 1 begins in northeast Bradford with part of Lawtey and wraps around of Starke, including portions in the north and south of the city. District 5 stretches across the map, including Brooker, Sampson City and voters south of Starke.
These are compensated positions, with the starting salaries calculated by the state for each county. For a county commissioner in Bradford in 2026, the salary is $41,309. For a school board member, the salary is $35,050.
Starke also has three commission seats open for election — districts one, three and five. These are the seats currently held by Danny Nugent, Bob Milner and Andy Redding. The starting salary per ordinance is $1,481 a month, or $17,772 a year.
As nonpartisan races, the city and school board elections will take place on the date of the primary for the partisan elections — Tuesday, Aug. 18. Winners from the partisan races with opposition from another party will move on to November, appearing on the ballot alongside state and federal races, including governor.
Interested in running?
Anyone interested in running for local office should call 904-966-6266 and make an appointment with Supervisor of Elections Amanda Seyfang who has handbooks ready to go and all the information you will need.
Seyfang’s updated website — www.votebradfordfl.gov — is also full of information for voters and candidates alike. The modern design offers easy navigation and improved access. Voters can quickly find details about registration, voting by mail, early voting (still to be determined), polling places, upcoming elections and other essential resources.
Seyfang encourages all voters to make sure their information, including addresses and personal identification number required for registration (driver’s license or Social Security number) are up to date. The elections office is receiving new, updated equipment with improved security, but with no changes to the user interface familiar to voters. Elections personnel are never too busy to answer questions about your right to vote.
To vote in the Aug. 18 primary election, voters must be registered by July 20. To vote in the Nov. 3 general election, voters must be registered by Oct. 5.
Announce your candidacy
The Bradford County Telegraph, Union County Times and Lake Region Monitor offer candidates an opportunity to publish an announcement of their intention to seek public office. This offer is limited, with submissions accepted no later than the Monday following qualifying week, which takes place in April for federal and judicial candidates, and June for state and local candidates.
There is a one-time charge of $50 to run the announcement with a photo of the candidate (headshot). This must be paid out of your campaign account. All other submissions will be charged current rates.
Submissions should be emailed to [email protected].
