Burt Saunders hopes to clinch a third term on the Collier County Commission in District 3.
He’s one of two candidates.
After winning the primary in August, he’ll face Richard Conover, no party affiliation , in the November election.
Saunders won the Republican primary with 3,608 votes, or 47.1% of the total votes cast in the race.
He handedly defeated newcomers John Johnson, Frank Roberts, and Floyd “Tag” Yarnell.
After the results rolled in, Saunders said he expected to win, but not by as big a margin.
“I didn’t expect to win by that much,” he said. “It kind of reaffirms the fact that a lot of the things I’ve been doing over the last few years on the commission are of importance and interest to the community.”
Each county commissioner is elected by voters in their district for a four-year term. Terms are staggered, with five commissioners in all.
The annual salary for the job is $103,414.
District 3 covers Golden Gate and parts of North Naples and Golden Gate Estates.
Saunders, 75, has been a county resident since 1982. A former county attorney, state representative and state senator, he still works as a lawyer at a private practice. He specializes in local and state government and health care law, with the GrayRobinson law firm , where he’s a shareholder.