Uncertainty Surrounds Reelection Bid for Sheriff and Two Commissioners

HERNANDO – Early voting is underway in Hernando County and there is speculation that at least three incumbent candidates are in danger of losing to their opponents, something the local establishment never expected and wasn't prepared for.

The most contentious races are for the Office of Sheriff and the District 1 and 3 Commissioner seats. According to a source, insider polling conducted by a high-profile politician revealed that Republicans Marvin Baynham and Ryan Amsler are ahead of the incumbents, John Allocco, and Beth Narverud, respectively. That same source says Sheriff Al Nienhuis is also falling behind his opponent Joe Puglia.

Puglia is gaining popularity with voters due to his support of body-worn cameras (BWCs), transparency, and fiscal responsibility. Nienhuis has been under fire for months due to questionable investigations like the murder of Ariana Ptarcinski, the implementation of "spy cameras," and refusal the to investigate an illegal slaughterhouse.

Commissioner Beth Narverud wasn't expecting to put up a fight at all until Amsler filed on the last day of qualifying. Narverud is now scrambling to defend her voting record and controversies surrounding her push for Sheriff Nienhuis to take over Animal Services.

Establishment Republicans are starting to put most of their effort into supporting District 3 Commissioner John Allocco, after witnessing overwhelming support building for his conservative rival Marvin Baynham. Allocco lost a lot of support from the community after he "changed his mind" in deciding to run for a third term. Allocco promised that he would only serve two terms. Allocco has also drawn criticism for voting to raise taxes, rubber stamping Sheriff Nienhuis' increasing budgets without question, and spearheading the ATV ban that was recently overturned.

After Baynham entered the race, I asked Allocco how he felt his chances were against his Trump-supporting opponent. Allocco scoffed and said, "He better spend a lot of money." Baynham did just that in an effort to deliver his conservative message, spending more than $90,000 of his own money, double that of Allocco.

In response to Baynham's growing support, Political Action Committees (PACs) have doled out thousands to try and rescue Allocco's campaign. In the last few weeks alone, hit pieces have been mailed to voters accusing Bayhnam of being a Bernie Sanders-supporting, Socialist, Democrat and they even used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create fake images of Baynham wearing a Biden/Harris T-shirt and hat. A fake news website created by the establishment hired college students to pose as real journalists, who then published a hit piece alleging that Baynham supports late-term abortion. Baynham says they forged his signature on that petition.

Another sign of desperation by candidates falling behind in the polls is the sudden influx of political endorsements. In the last few weeks, Nienhuis, Allocco, and Narverud suddenly received endorsements from numerous elected officials who have no interest in local politics.

Nienhuis boasts about endorsements from U.S. Senator Rick Scott, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Attorney General Ashley Moody, and even Governor Ron DeSantis, but none of them are directly affected by local politics. furthermore, Governor DeSantis announced a mass endorsement of nearly every Sheriff in Florida, not just Nienhuis. Puglia says, "There is only one endorsement that matters to me and that comes from the citizens of Hernando County on election day."

Allocco hasn't seen much in the way of endorsements, except those who work in Hernando County government, like Clerk Doug Chorvat, but he did get the support of close friend State Representative Jeff Holcomb.

Narverud isn't receiving the amount of support she expected from the establishment, and some say it's because the local "Godfather" of politics Blaise Ingoglia is concerned she may not win. Ingoglia is suspected of grooming and "appointing" Commissioner candidates so that he has control over all things real estate. Many say Ingoglia is nothing short of a "mobster" who pulls the strings of four out of the five commissioners, and when people get out of line, he calls his "enforcer," Sheriff Al Nienhuis. Here are a few examples of those who have been intimated and threatened for opposing or criticizing certain elected officials: Example 1, Example 2 (second half of this video), Behind the Gate by Tom Lemons.

Commissioner Steve Champion is the only incumbent poised to win reelection because most of his constituents view him as a true conservative who isn't beholden to any other elected official. The only problem with being "independent" is that he is usually the lone vote in opposition of his fellow commissioners. That's why "polls" show voters are eager to replace Allocco and Narverud with Baynham and Amsler.

Early voting ends this Saturday August 17th, and then the Primary Election will be held on August 20th.