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Incumbents sweep Okaloosa County on Tuesday’s election night

Okaloosa incumbents dominated during Tuesday night’s primary election. District 2 Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel faced off against challengers Matt Turpin and CareySue Beasley. In the end, Ketchel secured the victory with 48% of […]

Okaloosa incumbents dominated during Tuesday night’s primary election.

District 2 Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel faced off against challengers Matt Turpin and CareySue Beasley. In the end, Ketchel secured the victory with 48% of the votes.

  • Ketchel – 18,810
  • Turpin – 14,127
  • Beasley – 6,220

All of the Okaloosa School Board incumbents claimed a win in the District 1, 3 & 5 races. These were probably the most anticipated races in this year’s Primary for Okaloosa County.

District 1:

  • Linda Evanchyk – 23,823
  • Darrel Barnhill – 14,814

District 3:

  • Dr. Lamar White – 20,187
  • Jerry Buckman – 18,580

District 5:

  • Dr. Diane Kelley – 25,280
  • Cara Marion – 13,220

Other wins across the area include Congressman Matt Gaetz with nearly 70% of the votes, Doug BroxsonJay Trumbull, and Joel Rudman.

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Community Comments

“Auto and homeowners insurance needs to be addressed. If the outrageous insurance bills were lowered...maybe folks wouldn't mind paying existing rate of taxes. You want updates and improvements and safety..eliminating...”
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“Can anyone tell me what school board district Mary Esther is in? Why can voters outside the district vote for all school board candidates?”
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“What caused this incident? Okaloosa citizens want to be informed to protect their loved ones. What happened to "protect and serve"?”
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“Straight of Hormuz training.”
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“Seems most of these projects are for the south end of the county and the sheriff’s boondoggle. A couple projects in the north end. Vote wisely, especially if you’re a...”
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Patti McCourtney commented on WordroW: August 18, 2026
“Is there a hint anywhere?”
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Viva22 commented on WordroW: August 18, 2026
“Wow 😮 I got that in 40 seconds!”
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“This is a really bad idea built upon the notion of cute kids selling lemonade. It has the potential to create all kinds of problems -- particularly traffic -- in...”
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“Mr. Goodwin: Please drive down Commons Drive, the locals connector to alleviate congestion on 98. It’s a joke! Now Mayor Wagner is saying the alternative road to complete the bypass...”
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“Having lived here for 70 years, the closure of the Intracoastal is a first for me. Has this happened before?”
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