Letters from Readers

Chuck Winn

The 2024 Martin County and City of Stuart primary results reflected a combined anti-incumbent and anti-development-powered wave.  Manipulation by a write-in closed the Dist 1 County Commission race to non-GOP voters to handicap Eileen Vargas, but she still overwhelmingly defeated 24-year incumbent Doug Smith, the public face of fast-track development, by 60.9%-39%.  Eileen did a superb job persuading County voters, as she did a skeptical me back in May, that she has the solid business background and financial management skills to do the job.  Although Doug made many positive contributions in other areas, the voters obviously wanted a change in the County’s growth management direction.

In District 3 and District 4 races that were open to all County voters, controlled development candidates, and those presenting themselves that way, polled 62%.  Likewise, in the non-partisan City of Stuart Commission race the top slow-growth winner Sean Reed, won 60%.

In District 5, incumbent Ed Ciampi won a 6-point plurality, beating his closest rival Mike Syrkus by 41.5 to 35.5%.  Bruce Nathan polled a surprising 23%.  Many assume that Nathan spoiled the outcome for Syrkus.  However, a closer analysis of the vote indicates that is probably a stretch:  Ciampi-11,935 (41.51%); Syrkus-10,201 (35.48%); Nathan - 6,617 (23.01%).

Mike Syrkus certainly polled an impressive total with minimal campaign finances, but it is extremely unlikely he would have received more than 62% of Nathan’s votes.  Breaking down Nathan’s 6,617 total by giving 62% to Syrkus’s and the remaining 38% to Ciampi’s still results in a narrow 145 vote Ciampi lead that would have withstood a recount. (Ciampi 11,935 actual votes + 2,514 assumed Nathan votes = 14,449) v (Syrkus actual votes 10,201 + 4,103 assumed Nathan votes = 14,304).   Nathan was all over the place on the issues and had an extreme no growth position.  Nathan also promoted many issues not relevant to the County but appealing to older GOP MAGA voters. Syrkus was far less controlled growth than either Vargas or Capps, and even supported many features of the rural lifestyle amendment.  Nathan also ran as strongly against Syrkus as he did against Ciampi.

In District 3 the two perceived controlled growth candidates polled a combined 61.87%.  Blake Capps won 50.61%, with Frank D’Ambra receiving the other 11.27%. Susan Gibbs Thomas polled 38.11%.  However, assumptions that she was “hand-picked by Jenkins as the developers’ candidate” is flawed and based on limited background information. Indiantown residents have felt overlooked by the County for years.  When Commissioner Harold Jenkins and Blake Capps had their falling out, they saw an opportunity for Susan and encouraged her to run. Thomas did seek Jenkins’ endorsement, receiving it by default, even though she could more accurately be described as a slow growth moderate.  Susan opposed the Indiantown home rule referendum that was initiated and funded by developer interests.  Later, as a member of the Village Council, she thwarted attempts to ram through a cookie cutter copy of Stuart’s Comprehensive Plan.  Mass mailings on her behalf by the Firefighters Union and “Keep Martin Green” PAC, created the perception that she was joined at the hip to Doug Smith.  Non-GOP voters, angry at being shut out of the District 1 race for a fourth consecutive time, probably voted heavily against her.