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In the 2022 Sumter County commission race, two camps of Republicans have unmistakably emerged: One that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Gov. Ron DeSantis, and one thats sharpening a knife for his back.

The line has been clearly drawn by four men with an R next to their name on the ballot but an anti-GOP agenda in their pocket.

The objective: oust DeSantis appointees and reverse his economic policies.

Spitting in the eye of a governor with a 59% approval rating in a state in which only 49% of voters are Republican is a gutsy gambit for Reed Panos, Andrew Billardello, Jeff Bogue, and Daniel Myslakowski.

But the squad, running in districts 1, 2, 4 and 5 respectively, is doubling down.

Theyve united under the banner of Panos political action committee, whichpromises a one-two punch:

One:unseat DeSantis appointed commissioners, even though theyve won praise from the Sumter County Republican Party Executive Committee.

Two: undo DeSantis law protecting new businesses from uncapped impact fee hikes, even though it was supported by 100% of GOP senators and 97% of GOP house members.

(The law was opposed by 100% of Democratic leaders along with Panos PAC.)

So why are Panos picks, who are so obviously misaligned with GOP party leadership, even running as Republicans?

Because its the only way to win.

Registered Republicans in Sumter County outnumber Democrats more than 2-to-1, and the number of non-party affiliated voters is too small to close the gap.

No commission candidates are running as Democrats, and no endorsements are coming from the Sumter County Democratic Party Executive Committee, said Chairman Bob Berg.

The only way to get a seat at this commissions table is to convince Republicans you belong there.

Thats not going to be easy for Panos posse.

Republicans who backed his prior crew are still feeling the burn from a disastrous year of scandal and political embarrassment.

Panos, 67, a CDD 5 supervisor and retired Air Force surgeon, is the operative who brought 2020 commissioners Gary Search and Oren Miller together.

Search, whose first political win was on a Democrat ballot, and Miller, a failed Democratic candidate for the Florida House, wooed voters with a promise of a 25% property tax rate cut.

Instead, theyspiked the countys annual spending by 25%;championed failed tax increases;moved to restrict voting rights;botched a hospital deal; advanceda $4 million animal center while bungling ambulance funding;got arrested in a criminal probe and were suspended from office facing a felony

perjury charge.

All within one year.

Now, Panos wants DeSantis replacements for Search and Miller out.

The better people for their job, he says, are himself and an ex-Democratwhos done jail time for assault.

Panos PAC claims to be independent of Search and Miller since the completion of the 2020 election.

However, in January, Panos pleaded for public donations to the mens legal defense.

In March, he sat with their supporters in a Marion County courtroom.

This month, hes defended the men invoter forums and been publicly endorsed by Millers wife.

Last week, Panos told Villagers for Trump that I have no interest in Democrats.

He must have thought none of them had seen an email he sent to random voters promoting his picks. It ends with a plea to please forward this email to non-Republicans in SumterCounty.

In PanosLand, the real dirty politician is DeSantis.

According to Panos conspiracy theory, Search and Miller are innocent of lying under oath to investigators.

He claims that DeSantis and the state attorney are colluding in an orchestrated effort with big business donors to punish Search and Miller for trying to raise road impact fees.

In fact, at least five other counties raised their road impact fees in 2021 and yet none of their commissioners were arrested.

That includes Orange County, which almost tripled road impact fees on all new and expanding businesses.

That wasnt exactly great news for DeSantis donors like the Walt Disney Co. that had just given him $100,000 and yet no Orange County commissioners were arrested.

The rest of Panos2022 slate has its work cut out for it, too.

Billardello, 65, a CDD 12 supervisor, Air Force veteran and retired police chief, doesnt live in the district he is running to represent, as would be required if he is elected.

Bogue, 57, an EMS director at Advent Health near Tampa, has been vocal about abolishing what I call the parochial view of keeping The Villages fire department. His position is at odds with DeSantis, whosupports the agencys bid to start operating outside of county control.

Myslakowski, 70, formerly served as a Democrat member of the Macomb County Commission in Michigan and in 2011 pleaded guilty to assault and battery in a case in which the victim was a police officer.

Crossing swords with DeSantis just doesnt make sense for anyone who wants Republicans to take themseriously in Sumter.

The governor is wildly popular here. He won 69.6% of Sumter Countys vote, compared to 49.6% statewide.

Less than 33,000 votes made the difference in that nailbiter race, and Sumter gave him 51,978.

Since taking office, hes visited Sumter County at least 14 times, praisingit as a vitaleconomic engine.

His policies work.

Even post-pandemic, Floridas unemployment rate of 3.2% has remained below the nations for the past 16 months.

And its private sector job growth has exceeded the nations every month for the past year.

DeSantis is the GOPs hottest rising star, a presidential front-runner whoseclout is swelling nationwide:

In February, attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference said that without former President Donald Trump on the ballot, DeSantis would win 61% of their vote. (With Trump on the ballot, DeSantis snagged 28% while no one else cracked2%.)

Also in February, a Suffolk University/USA Today poll projected that DeSantis would take 52% of Florida in a matchup against President Joe Bidens 44%. That was better than Trumps 47%.

In May, DeSantis beat Trump in a straw poll of Wisconsin Republicans with 38% to Trumps 32%. No other candidate reached double figures.

Two weeks ago, DeSantis won 71% of the vote to Trumps 67% in a straw poll taken during the Western Conservative Summit in Denver. Its the second year in a row he was picked over Trump.

Lastweek, DeSantis edged past Trump in a poll of likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters as their first choice for president in 2024.

DeSantis, an overwhelming favorite for reelection, already has raised more than $100 million.

Thats a record-setting pace for a single election cycle in Florida.

Its the kind of shine that any real Republican would want to share.

Not the Panos pack.

They still prefer the shade.

The Daily Sun welcomes your letters to the editor on local issues written in the spirit of civil discourse, and we will publish them on Sundays as space allows.

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In the 2022 Sumter County commission race, two camps of Republicans have unmistakably emerged - The Villages Daily Sun