Bill Gunter Blows Out Rivals for GOP Nod in Pasco County House Race

Bill Gunter, the pastor of Redeemer Community Church in New Port Richey, won the Republican primary on Tuesday in the special election to replace former Rep. Mike Fasano in the Florida House to represent parts of Pasco County.

Gunter defeated Jim Mathieu, who served as Port Richey city attorney and interim city manager and chaired the Pasco County GOP, and insurance agent Jeromy Keith Harding in the primary.

With 77 percent of the votes counted, Gunter had 63 percent, Mathieu had 20 percent and Harding 17 percent. Voting was light with less than 15 percent of Republicans casting their ballots in the primary. Most of the Republicans voted by absentee ballot in the primary.

Gunter will take on Democratic candidate Amanda Murphy, who is the vice president of investments for Raymond James, on Oct. 15 to determine who will replace Fasano, who was appointed Pasco County tax collector by Gov. Rick Scott in July, in representing parts of Pasco County in the House.