Gulf Breeze, FLA — On November 8th, County Commissioner, Dave Peich (R), was unsuccessful in his re-election bid to represent Santa Rosa County’s 4th District. Piech lost against radical extremist Republican candidate Ray Eddington, a Navarre resident who moved to Florida from Tennessee during Piech’s first and only term. By most accounts Piech represented District 4 relatively well. He brought infrastructure projects to the county, championed innovative drainage initiatives, and proposed water clean-up strategies that had broad-based public support.
What was he missing? Courage.
In Santa Rosa County, Republican registered voters outnumber Democrats 3 to 1. So for years Republican candidates ignored Democratic voters because in their view they didn’t need Democrats to win. But in 2022, Piech found himself locked in a head-to-head match against another Republican. With local enthusiasm indicating re-election looked grim, Piech courted the votes of Democrats. His last ditch effort to rely on the 24,000 registered Democrats to see him over the finish line was unsuccessful. Piech lost by nearly 10 points. In 2018, Piech defeated his primary opponent by 25 points.
What caused the nearly 35 point swing away from Piech? Ultra MAGA. The Board of County Commission in Santa Rosa County swung hard-right in 2020. Piech, who fashions himself as a traditional Conservative, didn’t stand a chance in such an environment.
At Republican monthly meetings, held at the Hangar and Grover T’s in Milton, Piech sat in silence. As a party leader he didn’t rebut the insurrectionist wing of the party, he didn’t rebuke the election deniers of the party, and he didn’t reject the racial and homophobic atmosphere the party foments. And for all that complacency, the voters still sent him packing.
Piech is not the only Right-wing Republican who finds themselves struggling to court the Ultra MAGA world. Santa Rosa County Superintendent Karen Barber who brags of her Conservative bonafides, gets heckled at school board and Republican Party meetings by the Ultra MAGA wing of her party. Is her time up soon? She should look at Piech’s short-lived career and take note.
Winners stand up and stand for something. Middle of the road is not a winning strategy. Our hope is that Dr. Barber chooses courage of conviction over complacency.