MARTIN COUNTY — All five constitutional officers ran unopposed this election while all the incumbents for municipal and county commission seats will face competition in August.

John Budensiek, chief deputy at the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, ran unopposed for sheriff following Sheriff William Snyder’s decision to pursue other opportunities. Incumbents Jenny Fields, property appraiser; Vicki Davis, supervisor of elections; Ruth Pietruszewski, tax collector; and Carolyn Timmann, clerk of the circuit court and comptroller, were the sole candidates for their posts.

Martin County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy John Budensiek to become next Martin County Sheriff

All five were elected automatically without opposition. Four officers in the 2020 election were elected without opposition. Fields faced one opponent.

County Commission Chair Harold Jenkins, who has held the District 3 seat since 2016, decided to retire from public office. He said he plans to spend time in Virginia on farmland he is in the process of buying, which he said is a longtime dream.

“It’s time to enact that (dream),” he said.

Longtime School Board member and former County Commissioner Michael DiTerlizzi, who has the District 5 seat, has decided to step away from public office.

“After 24 years of public service, it’s time to retire,” DiTerlizzi said. “I’ve done so much of the things I’ve wanted to do (on the School Board). Now is the time.”

DiTerlizzi, 65, said he and his wife, Jodi, want to travel, seeing the country and visiting family. DiTerlizzi was elected to the School Board in 2012. He is a two-term county commissioner, from 2000-2008.

“I’ve served my community the way I’ve wanted to serve my community,” he said.

DiTerlizzi will be replaced on the dais by Michael Moriarty, who was the only candidate to file for the seat.

Three incumbents on the Ocean Breeze Town Council and the mayor’s seat are on the ballot in November. Qualifying begins Aug. 1 and lasts until Aug. 21.

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Following are the candidates who will be on the August ballot:

Indiantown Village Council

Seat 1

∎ Vernestine Williams-Palmer

Seat 2

∎ Janet Hernandez (i)

∎ Phyllis Waters Brown

Martin County Commission

District 1

∎ Kenneth DeAngeles

∎ Doug Smith (i)

∎ Eileen Vargas

District 3

∎ Blake Capps

∎ Frank D’Ambra III

∎ Susan Gibbs Thomas

District 5

∎ Edward V. Ciampi (i)

∎ Bruce F. Nathan

∎ Michael Syrkus

Sewall’s Point Town Commission

∎ Johnny Colson

∎ Frank Fender III (i)

∎ Kaija Mayfield (i)

∎ Stephen Polacheck

∎ Frank Tidikis

∎ John Tompeck (i)

Stuart City Commission

Group II

∎ Rebecca Bruner (i)

∎ Laura Giobbi

Group IV

∎ Troy McDonald (i)

∎ Sean Reed

Martin County School District

District 2

∎ Marsha Powers (i)

∎ Sydney Thomas

District 5

∎ Brian Michael Moriarty

Florida Senate, District 31

District 31 consists of Martin County and portions of Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties.

∎ Joseph Alan Bauer (listed as active but not qualified as of 1 p.m. Friday)

∎ Gayle Harrell (i)

∎ Aaron J. Hawkins

Florida House, District 85

District 85 consists of portions of St. Lucie and Martin counties.

∎ Toby Overdorf (i)

∎ Lisa Marie Stortstrom

Florida House, District 86

District 86 consists of parts of Martin and Palm Beach counties.

∎ Alberto Hernandez

∎ John Snyder (i)

This story will be updated.

Staff writers Colleen Wixon and Wicker Perlis contributed to this report.

Keith Burbank is TCPalm’s watchdog reporter covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com and at 720-288-6882.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Martin County Sheriff, other constitutional officers elected already