DELAND, Fla. - The field of candidates for Volusia County Chair is growing, with two major candidates having announced this week. The latest is Randy Dye, a DeLand resident well-known in the community for his two car dealerships. Dye faces Port Orange Mayor Don Burnette, and presumably will face incumbent Chair Jeff Brower.
Unlike Burnette and Brower, Dye has never held elected office before. He will instead likely hope to capitalize on his business history and his time with different boards and nonprofits; Dye is a former president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler, a former Chair of the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce, a member of Daytona State College's Board of Trustees, and a member of the NASCAR Foundation's Board of Directors.
The release also appealed to Volusia County's racing heritage. Dye is a former race car driver whose son Daniel Dye now races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In his announcement video Dye invoked the late baseball legend Roberto Clemente, saying Clemente's humanitarianism in part inspired his run. According to a release sent announcing his campaign, Dye has lived in Volusia County since 1982.
With over a year and a half until Election Day, it remains to be seen if any other major candidates will jump in to oppose Dye, Burnette, and Brower, but the race is already looking to be among the most competitive in the recent history of Volusia County.
