The two Flagler Beach City Commission members whose terms expire in March are both seeking re-election, per candidate filing reports. Rick Belhumeur and Scott Spradley have both filed to run for another term in office, three years after winning their seats in the March 2023 election.
Spradley, a local attorney, was elected to his first term on the commission in 2023. He has served one of his three years as chair of the commission, receiving a speedy appointment in just his second year in office. Spradley is also known to residents for his weekly public coffee chats each Saturday at his law office, and for his prior service on the Flagler Beach Planning & Architectural Review Board.
Belhumeur is a second-generation City Commission member, who was first elected in 2016. He served two three-year terms before losing the 2022 election. He then won his seat back a year later in 2023. He and Spradley came out on top, with incumbent Commissioner Deborah Phillips losing her seat and fellow challengers Bob Cunningham and Doug ‘Bruno’ O’Connor falling short. Belhumeur has one year’s experience as Commission Chair, and is presently the Commission Vice Chair.
RJ Santore’s campaign headshot, sourced from his campaign website. ⓒ AJ Neste
Flagler Beach does not hold individual elections for each seat on its City Commission, similar to how most other elected boards in the county operate. There will be two open seats in the March 2026 election, and each candidate will compete in an open, non-partisan race against one another. The two candidates with the most votes win the two seats.
The two incumbent candidates are currently joined by just challenger: RJ Santore. A fourth-generation fireworks manufacturer, Santore is the vice president of his family’s company, Ralph Santore & Sons. His campaign website states that he moved to Flagler Beach in 2015, and that he grew up in Palm Coast prior to that. Santore’s company has previously worked with the Flagler Beach City Commission on the city’s New Year’s Eve fireworks show.
Next year’s Flagler Beach City Commission election is scheduled to take place on March 3rd, 2026. Voters have until February 19th to request a mail-in ballot. Voting will take place at Flagler Beach City Hall, located at 105 S 2nd Street.
