Santa Rosa County District 2 Commissioner Kerry Smith hasn’t yet pre-filed for re-election to his $94,046 job, which expires next year, but so far three Republican challengers have entered the race and more have indicated their intent to challenge the one-term incumbent.
Results of a local, non-scientific online poll conducted this week via social media reveals that 134 participants ranked Smith’s job performace as follows:
- 88% voted Unsatisfactory;
- 6% voted Needs Improvment;
- 2% voted Meets Expectations;
- 4% voted Exceeds Expectations;
- 0% voted Outstanding.
Those not satisfied with Smith’s performance in the seat will have a choice of candidates from which to pick their favorite: to date, Jeff Ates, Brian Hosterman and Jeff Snow have officially pre-filed for the 2026 race.
District 2 Candidate Jeff Ates is an East Milton businessman
During the 2022 election, when Smith ran on a campaign platform of “Roads Before Development,” the margin of votes deciding the race was so slim that a hand recount was required, ending with Smith scratching out 60 votes more than Ates, an East Milton businessman and philanthropist, who has already raised $6,425 for his 2026 campaign. LEARN MORE: ATES PAGE
Hosterman, a newcomer to politics. “After watching for years how every local politician has promised the voters to be different only to completely change their positions once elected, I decided that enough is enough,” he stated. LEARN MORE: HOSTERMAN PAGE
Like Smith, Snow, is a also realtor. He’s a former Milon City Councilman. “As your next County Commissioner—and a lifelong Republican—I will bring the same proven leadership, work ethic, and Christian values that have defined both my personal life and public service. I am pro-life, a strong defender of our First and Second Amendment rights, and I proudly stand with our military, law enforcement, firefighters, and first responders.” Learn more: SNOW PAGE
This week we asked the incumbent and the candidates their thoughts on county-owned buildings in historic downtown Milton. Here was their responses:
Jeff Ates: “Tear down Fisher & Hamilton building. Convert courthouse into a mall by putting in apartments for military students at NAS Whiting Field upstairs, which would help pay to rehab the ground floor into a mall.”
Brian Hosterman: “The county owes it to the taxpayers of Santa Rosa County to safeguard their money in the best way possible. The county has the responsibility to maintain all properties that they own. If we cannot do that, we should sell the properties which will eliminate the county from having to pay for upkeep, add funds to the county coffers, and add said properties back to the tax rolls.”
Jeff Snow: “It doesn’t make sense for the county to own waterfront property like the Fisher & Hamilton Building. Put it back on the market. I definitely believe something great could happen with the courthouse – from a purchase to a public/private venture. If leadership will have vision, they could create something very special in downtown Milton.”
Incumbent District 2 Commissioner Kerry Smith: “I find it disturbing that you would reach out to me at 6:39 AM the very morning that you released the story, asking me if I have a response.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: We emailed the incumbent and the three pre-filed candidates early that morning; we thank all three challengers for their cooperation in sharing their ideas to help historic downtown Milton.
Would you like to enter the race for the job representing the Greater Milton area? Qualifying deadline will be in June. LEARN MORE: RUNING FOR OFFICE
Early voting for the 2026 Primary Election starts August 3, 2026. LEARN MORE: SANTA ROSA COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS OFFICE
