DAYTONA BEACH -- In the race for seat 2 on the Volusia County Council, former Ponce Inlet Mayor Nancy Epps' fundraising shows she's the David to incumbent Josh Wagner's Goliath. In a field of three, she only has to score one of the top two spots in the primary to force a November showdown.
That is, unless any of three wins the primary outright with 50 percent plus one. And with an incumbent, that's asking for a lot, including for the current office holder.
Epps likes her chances to force a November showdown just like she did four years ago.
In terms of sheer campaign dollars, Epps is third in the field of three with $22,375 in contributions, according to the latest figures posted on the supervisor of elections website. However, she's much closer to fellow challenger, Kameel "Ken Ali, who has generated $26,941.
Still, the two have little chance of catching Wagner's $48,010. Do the math and the numbers speak volumes: He has twice as much.
Epps, is an experienced campaigner from her municipal races. She almost beat Wagner the last time around, losing by mere percentage points. Wagner garnered 50.12% of the votes cast to $49.88% for Epps.
As the incumbent this time around, Wagner has support from heavy hitters like Brown & Brown's Hyatt Brown, Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn Ritchey and others.
Regardless of the finances, Epps believes the great equalizer to voters is her message of prioritizing what needs to get done -- not what private interests with deep pockets want. "We must look at all projects objectively and make our decisions based on facts, not personal business interests.”