Gail Adams Aaskov (left) and Geoffrey Pugh are sworn into office March 25
by Ocean Ridge Town Clerk Karen Hancsak. Town Manager Ken Schenck observes.
Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Dan Moffett
Absentee voting proved decisive as two incumbents, Commissioner Gail Adams Aaskov and Mayor Geoffrey Pugh, turned back the challenge of former Commissioner Ed Brookes in Ocean Ridge’s hotly contested March election.
Only seven votes separated the three candidates and 32 percent of the town’s registered voters turned out, the highest participation rate in Palm Beach County.
Aaskov, who is beginning her sixth three-year term, received 285 votes, Pugh 283 and Brookes 278. Aaskov’s 35 absentee votes were critical in deciding the two open seats; Pugh had 25 and Brookes 22.
Another key factor was the ongoing recall movement against Commissioner Richard Lucibella. Aaskov and Pugh have sided with Lucibella, while Brookes was the candidate of choice among recall supporters. He signed the petition for the commissioner’s removal.
“I wish it would all go away,” Aaskov said of the recall. “I think it’s all ridiculous and Lucibella should be allowed to serve out his term.”
The influence of the recall efforts surfaced in the high number of undervotes recorded. According to the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office, 132 voters selected only one candidate instead of choosing two. Undervotes (where only one candidate was selected) are valid and counted.
In this case, they likely reflected support for Brookes and dissatisfaction with the incumbents.
Brookes’ supporters also blamed a group called Citizens for Sane Politics for an 11th-hour attack against the candidate that alleged he violated election rules by receiving assistance from the nonprofit Florida Coalition for Preservation and the Ocean Ridge Garden Club.
Brookes denies any misconduct: “Let me assure you that has not happened.”
Both the coalition and garden club insist it neither endorsed nor backed his campaign.
Aaskov says the town needs to move forward with other issues, such as making interim Police Chief Hal Hutchins the permanent choice.
“My main thing is getting the chief issue resolved,” she said. “Morale in the department has been improving by the day and Hal should be appointed as the permanent chief.”
Aaskov, 79, promised to work to resolve the issues that are dividing the town. “It’s unfortunate that we’ve had some bad publicity the last few years,” she said. “We’ve got to get Ocean Ridge back on the right track.”
Pugh, 52, who has been on the commission since 2003, was named mayor in 2012, succeeding Ken Kaleel
Ocean Ridge Election Results
Town Commissioner – Ocean Ridge
Percent Votes
Gail Adams Aaskov 33.69% 285
Ed Brookes 32.86% 278
Geoff Pugh 33.45% 283
846
Source: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections
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