Tom Reynolds abandons 2018 election, vows 2020 return

“Three strikes and you’re out” is the call for ubiquitous political candidate Thomas F. Reynolds, after Historic City News learned that he has withdrawn from a contest against St Augustine Beach Commissioner Undine C. George, who Supervisor of Elections Vicky Oakes reports is therefor elected by default.

• Reynolds entered the 2018 mid-term elections as a Democrat seeking office as St Johns County Commissioner for District 4. In the heavily contested race, with both major parties represented as well as a write-in candidate and another candidate running without party affiliation, Reynolds chose to withdraw. Since his Primary Election opponent, Catherine Hawkinson Guevarra, failed to qualify, Reynolds could have potentially been in a three-way General Election battle with Jeremiah Blocker, the Republican Primary winner, and John C. (Jack) Gorman. We’ll never know.

• Instead, Reynolds regrouped and filed to run for the non-partisan City of St Augustine Beach Seat 4. He withdrew early from that contest, which would have gone on until November. With Reynolds gone, Margaret England was declared the winner, without opposition, at the close of qualifying for the Primary Election.

• Reynolds was not down just yet. He managed to find enough time to qualify to compete in the Seat 3 race for the City of St Augustine Beach commission, held by Mayor George. But, since the qualifying period has now expired, and since no other candidates qualified while it was still open, Reynolds withdrawal today means St Augustine Beach Commissioner Undine George is re-elected without opposition.

Although Reynolds is unable to interject himself into the 2018 election any further, he has already declared himself a candidate in election year 2020
when David Shoar says he will retire as St Johns County sheriff.

True to his unpredictable style, Reynolds originally filed to run for sheriff on July 31, 2017, then decided to withdraw on November 16, 2017.  However, when he withdrew from the Beach race today, September 24, 2018, he re-declared himself a candidate for sheriff in 2020.

A lot can happen in two-years. Stay tuned to see what other races, if any, Reynolds will target.