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Special Election Held Tuesday For Lakeland City Commission

Courtesy Bay News 9
The candidates from left are Bill Watts, Sara Roberts McCarley and Patrick Shawn Jones

Voters in Lakeland will go to the polls Tuesday. They'll elect a city commissioner to fill the remainder of the term left when Michael Dunn resigned after killing a suspected shoplifter at his Army and Navy surplus store.

The candidates are Patrick Shawn Jones, Sara Roberts McCarley and Bill Watts.

Jones, 53, is a surgical technician at Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center. He's also a heavy metal DJ for WMNF Radio in Tampa.

McCarley, 47, is a stay-at-home mom who was a former executive director of the non-profit group Polk Vision. She also created a foundation that takes high school seniors on a trip to Washington, D.C. to learn about the inner workings of government.

Watts, 54, formerly owned a French restaurant and now works in marketing for a mortgage company.

The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.
 

Steve Newborn is a WUSF reporter and producer at WUSF covering environmental issues and politics in the Tampa Bay area.
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