Early Tuesday, Election day, as candidates were setting up tents at the Flagler County library on Palm Coast Parkway, Alan Lowe and Mike Norris, two of the five candidates for Palm Coast mayor, had a run-in. They didn’t yet know, of course, that by evening, Lowe was eliminated and Norris led the count. He’s in a runoff against Cornelia Manfre.
“Good morning, Mike,” Lowe said he told Norris, candidate to candidate: they were among the five candidates vying for Palm Coast mayor.
Norris, according to Lowe, answered with insults. “He started f-bombing all over the place and started to threaten to punch me,” Lowe said. “I told him, ‘here I am. Take your best shot.'”
Lowe’s wife Grit Lowe spoke with Norris and asked him not to disrespect her husband. “He told me off in a not very nice way, because after all he wants to be mayor for me, too,” she said.
She showed a video she’d taken of the encounter. Norris is heard and seen say: “I know who your husband is. He’s a piece of shit.” Norris complains about Lowe “always attacking me on Facebook.”
Norris dismissed the encounter. “If Alan Lowe’s lips are moving, he’s lying. Direct quote. Mike Norris, period,” he said, sitting under his tent a short distance away from where Lowe had set up with others. (Lowe is not known for his accuracy.) “He’s been attacking me, and his minions have been attacking me ruthlessly for the past couple months, and I haven’t attacked any of those guys. Same thing with Peter Johnson. He says I stole his signs. He said I broke the story about him and the cat people. That’s all Alan Lowe’s people, not me.” Johnson was among the mayoral candidates and the subject of a fabricated smear.
“Neither one of those gentlemen should be in this race,” Norris said, preferring to talk about his qualifications. He was tense, but spoke of confidence, certain that he would at least make it to a runoff. He said he just didn’t know with who.
The run-in was a rare breakdown in civility at polling places since early voting began. Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart last week said it had been the least-tempered election she’d seen since becoming supervisor almost a decade ago. Candidates have generally been respectful toward each other, if often at arms’ length. Salty language is nothing new to candidates, though complaints about Norris’s temper have shadowed him from time to time in Republican circles, including Flagler Republican Executive Committee meetings.
Ed Danko, the Palm Coast City Council member who was running for a County Commission seat, described a similar incident with Norris. “Last week, when I was setting up here, Thursday or Friday, I don’t remember which day, Norris walked by, and I said, Good morning Mike,” Danko said Tuesday afternoon. “And he said, ‘Fuck you. Fuck you,’ and just kept walking. So I mean, when Alan told me what had happened and he told me that Norris had, like, threatened him, I’m going to kick your ass, I was like, Well, you know Alan, that’s not I’m not surprised after what he said to me.”
Danko, when he happened to be chairing a council meeting, had thrown Johnson out of the chamber for alleged misbehavior. “Peter Johnson and I shook hands today or yesterday,” Danko said. “I even joked with him and I said, if you become mayor, I hope you find it exhilarating when you throw your first person out of City Hall. I made a joke. Everyone has been delightful. No one has been mean, nobody has been nasty. So when I say good morning, I expected that I would just get a good morning, right? And that’s not what happened.”
Pending Friday’s recount, Danko lost his bid for a commission seat by 40 votes to Pam Richardson. Norris was the leading vote-getter in the mayoral race, with 31 percent, to Manfre’s 24 percent. Lowe and Johnson got 13 percent, and David Alfin, the incumbent, got 18 percent. The run-ins are not likely to benefit Norris if, for example, Lowe and Johnson end up supporting Manfre, who is almost certain to benefit from a share of the Alfin vote.
Mike says
I’ve lived in Flagler County for 5 years. Has the political hate and rancor always been like this? Disagreeing on a topic is one thing, why all the personal insults and foul language? Hopefully a cooler, more civil dialog will start after everyone gets home from Church, Synagogue and Mosque. ☮️
Joe D says
I bought my retirement home in Flagler Beach 5 years ago too…this MIDDLE SCHOOL behavior out of SUPPOSEDLY GROWN ADULTS (who by the way want to control millions of dollars worth of Budget Money, and approve legislation that could affect our Community for GENERATIONS), is absolutely unacceptable!
People don’t want to have “outsiders” think of a particular jurisdiction as a “Country Hick Town,” but then the LEADERS need to set the example of RESPONSIBLE and PROFESSIONAL behavior!
REALLY!?!
The dude says
So conflicted… one the one hand I wholeheartedly approve of telling little Eddy Danko and his gilligan Alan Lowe “fuck you”, but on the other it’s apparent as it ever has been that this Norris dude is just Danko chapter two.
I hate it for you Palm Coast. Maybe one day you’ll wake up with a MAGA induced hangover and realize you’ve been lusting after the orange Fat Elvis for far too long.
Meanwhile all I can do is point and laugh.
Protonbeam says
I am not sure truer words were ever spoken “ If Alan lips are moving, he’s lying”
Maybe Alan Lowe finally gets that nobody in this town trust him to run for office
Loser
Liar
Lowe
Stephen says
Just call him loser Lowe.
blondee says
Nobody cares that Trump does this all the time! I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.
Backslapping Commission says
BOO HOO: LOSER’S REMORSE , be a man Lowe and take losing like a man
don’t be such a cry baby, if you can’t take losing you shouldn’t be running,
you are a five time loser give it up already, maybe try opening a storage
facility, ask one of your real estate buddies for a loan where you can store
your losing campaign signs for your next losing campaign. It’s true we saw
all of your minons attacking Norris on FB. Mike Norris is one of the most
gentlemanly, mild- mannered politician we have ever met. Stop baiting
people!
Justbob says
Norris…. a wannabe tough guy like Danko only taller.
Bailey says
Norris is gentlemanly and mild mannered? You must be kidding! Are we talking about the same Mike Norris? The Mike Norris I know is a cross between Danko and Mullins. Small wonder people stay away from that Library during elections!
These guys all think they’re Trump.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Better than another realtor!
Joanne C says
Amen.
Robert G . says
Clearly you don’t know the man.
Mr. Norris will do more for our citizens and the city of Palm Coast then all the previous mayors combined.
Diana says
Are you kidding me right now? What world are you living in to think that Mike Norris is a
gentlemanly, mild- mannered politician ???
VanHeusen says
Typical insults complete ignorance non realistic from no brainer republicans of divided country.
Joe D says
I simply don’t understand Flagler County Politics…but I’m only been involved in the area since I bought my retirement home 5 years ago.
This behavior just sounds like MIDDLE SCHOOL…not a County government, controlling millions of Budget dollars, and legislation affecting people’s lives.
I’m REALLY disappointed…
Nancy N. says
“This behavior just sounds like MIDDLE SCHOOL” <– Actually, I think you understand Flagler County politics perfectly.
Fed up with Norris says
Norris is nothing but a crybaby and bully! His language towards men or women are so disrespectful and disgusting. 🤮
Not a good example for our City! He was kicked off of Nextdoor because of his rude, crude, insulting and bullying behavior.
Indeed, he should be very ashamed of his conduct and in my opinion is a sad, short man with a Napoleonic complex having a bad hair day.
Just Distraction says
Not true. Mike was not kicked off Nextdoor and he’s never been rude on that site. I wish people would be honest.
Deborah Coffey says
Fine. Now, can we all just vote for the one decent human being that is running for Mayor of Palm Coast…Cornelia Manfre? Thank you. She will be excellent.
Nope says
Umm…No.
David Schaefer says
No not another realtor we had enough from Alfin….
Mike says
She’s got my vote.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Not another realtor!!!!!! SAVE PALM COAST!!!!!
Judy Delarosby says
Nope.
Atwp says
Immature Republicans.
Just Distraction says
This is just nonsense! Wake up people! This is just an effort to divide the majority Republican City of Palm Coast citizens so that Manfre, a Democrat will win the Mayoral campaign. So bring on the salacious personal interactions between the Republican candidates to hopefully sway the mainly conservative citizens to vote for Manfre, rather than Norris. Never mind we look at the plans for each of the Candidates for Mayor. Do Conservatives want Manfre who will probably continue what Alfin has done? Manfre has stated in a Meet the Candidates meeting that she won’t take donations from developers. Well, all one has to do is go look at her donations to see she’s taken donations from developers. Her own bio lists her job as being “Commercial Investment Advisor and Luxury Brokerage”. So you can fall into this trap of obfuscation, not look at the candidates whose policies most represent your wishes for the city and vote for Manfre. Or you can wave this effort by the Democrats to distract you from what’s important to you and vote for Mike Norris. A vote for Manfre is a vote for the continuation of Alfin’s pro-developer policies. Mike has been defending himself from personal, shameful, defamatory attacks on his family. But don’t we need a fighter to be Mayor?! One that has proven that he won’t take donations from special interest groups and will represent the citizens’ needs. Or you can vote for Manfre, who is in Real Estate, who has taken donations from special interest groups. Your choice.
Robert G. says
Looks like we have a couple of sore losers. Clearly Mr. Norris is an outstanding candidate based on the number of votes he got in the primary. I would love for someone to attempt comparing his qualifications to his opponents. If you want to see Palm Coast destroyed even more than Alfin has allowed then by all means vote for the other candidate who is clearly more interested in helping developers than looking out for her constituents.
James says
Sounds like more conspiracy talk.
This is Palm Coast.
Does party affiliation REALLY matter here? Or is it all driven by greed from behind the scenes?
No matter how unjust Mike Norris might feel about his treatment in this primary, he should realize that there are many folks watching him… folks that don’t know him personally… from the Republican club or whatever… who are just trying to form an opinion of his character.
Cursing at Lowe isn’t going to help. Particularly to many (myself included) that have read comments here which, in effect, paint him as a “hothead.” Not to mention the accusations that he, or someone connected to his campaign, was involved in “meow-gate,” that Peter Johnson slander campaign.
Meow-gate was real.
And as far as an outsider (such as myself) can tell, Johnson was an outsider as well, although he was/is a Republican. He didn’t sabotage his own campaign, it was someone else.
Doubt it was Norris. Yet Norris seems to hold animus for him when I don’t recall reading here that Johnson directly accused him of being involved.
Furthermore, Manfre might be a Democrat, but you’re assuming she’s in league somehow with other Democrats to break up this “Republican paradise.” But she might have a political history here as well… in connection with the “power brokers” behind the scenes (if such people really exist). Power brokers who don’t necessarily have to care one way or another about party or politics.
As long as their true interests are secured.
Not saying she is in any way working for some such cabal. She is, in all probability, just running to be mayor, nothing more. Just bringing out a (flawed) point in your reasoning.
But I’ve digressed.
The point is, it is Norris that should take the highroad at every opportunity from here on out… not confirm to others that he is indeed what they might have (rightly or wrongly) concluded of him through hearsay accounts.
Just an opinion… of someone who would like to say “I like Mike” but has some real doubts now.