CAPE CORAL, Fla. - The Cape Coral Chamber of Commerce held a get to know the candidates event Thursday evening. The event called, the 2008 Embarq Candidates Hobnob, featured a straw poll.

A number of challengers bested the incumbents, or came very close.

The chamber says 145 ballots were cast.

In the race for U.S. House of Representatives in the 14th District, challenger State Senator Burt Saunders (NPA) doubled-up Rep. Connie Mack (R). Sen. Saunders is running against Rep. Mack with No Party Affiliation. The State Senator is a registered Republican. Sen. Saunders serves parts of Southwest in the State Senate as a Republican, but choose to run for congress as a No Party Affiliation candidate.

Sen. Saunders received 55 votes, Rep. Mack received 25 votes, Democratic challenger Robert M. Neeld received 7 votes, Write-in candidate Larry Byrnes also received 2 votes, No Party Affiliation candidate Jeff George did not receive any votes.

In the race for Lee County Commission, Cape Coral Mayor Eric Feichthaler beat Incumbent Commissioner Bob Janes by one vote 30-29. Feichthaler and Janes are battling each other for the Republican nomination for District 1 Lee County Commission. Gerard David Jr. is also running as a Republican, he garnered four votes of support. Former Cape Coral City Councilor AJ Boyd, who is running with No Party Affiliation picked-up 14 votes. Fellow No Party Affiliation candidate Carla Brooks Johnston won three votes. Brooks Johnston is the former mayor of Sanibel.

In the race for District 5 Lee County Commission, Incumbent Frank Mann beat challenger Shawn Seliger by one vote 36-35. Steve "Sonny" Haas and Dick Kuhn also picked-up some votes 11 and 3 respectively.

The District 3 race for Lee County Commission was not close. Incumbent Ray Judah received 52 votes. Challengers Anita Cereceda picked-up 23 votes and Les Cochran won 11 votes.

Challengers for the Lee County School Board both beat the incumbents in the straw poll handily. In District 2, James Middlebrooks Jr. won 54 votes to incumbent Jeanne Dozier's 22 votes. For District 3, the incumbent Jane Kuckel picked-up 32 but was beaten by Ray Rodrigues who got 50 votes.

There was a five dollar entrance fee for chamber members, and a ten dollar fee from non-chamber members. Once in-side the event, anybody could cast a vote in the straw poll.

Other results:
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 71
13 CHRIS CONSTANCE
9 BETTY GISSENDANNER
8 KEN ROBERSON
7 RICHARD J SANTOS

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 72
8 JUDY “JJ” JULIANO
32 PAIGE B KREEGEL
17 KEITH S RICHTER

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 73
15 STEPHEN GRAYBLANCETT
43 NICK THOMPSON

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 75
11 THOMAS BOSWAY
52 TRUDI WILLIAMS

STATE SENATOR DISTRICT 27
48 DAVE ARONBERG
11 MATT CALDWELL
1 ED HEENEY
1 ANIANA H ROBAS

LEE COUNTY PROPERTY APPRAISER
11 JOHN GLASER
17 KYLE LEE
20 LARRY ST. AMAND
33 KENNETH WILKINSON

LEE COUNTY SHERIFF
8 CHRISTIAN MEISTER
73 MIKE SCOTT
33 ROD SHOAP

LEE MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM BOARD OF DIRECTORS DISTRICT 1
4 STEPHEN R BROWN
3 ANNA E CLARK
49 MARILYN M STOUT

LEE MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM BOARD OF DIRECTORS DISTRICT 3
0 LOIS BARRETT
31 LINDA L BROWN
17 JASON MOON

LEE MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM BOARD OF DIRECTORS DISTRICT 5
10 KERRY BABB
8 ROBERT J FREIBURGER
18 JAMES GREEN
2 VILMAR RIBEIRO

PUBLIC DEFENDER 20TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
6 BRIAN M. BOYLE
4 DAVID A BRENER
8 REX DARROW
44 KATHY SMITH

LEE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY COMMITTEEMEN
PRECINCT 37
4 IVAN BROWNSTEIN
5 THEODORE KOSTUK
13 JAMES L MCLENNAN

LEE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY COMMITTEEMEN
PRECINCT 128
9 LARRY BYRNES
4 RALPH TROMBA
8 SHAWN MICHAEL WILLIAMS

LEE COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY STATE COMMITTEEWOMAN
8 BRENDA SKUPNY
47 MARILYN STOUT

LEE COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY COMMITTEEMEN
PRECINCT 16
17 JAMES JENNINGS
5 MICHAEL MILLER
6 JAMES F REDDINGTON

LEE COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY COMMITTEEWOMEN
PRECINCT 55
16 MICHEL G DOHERTY
4 THERESE EVERLY
12 SHIRLEY ROSE O’DONNELL

LEE COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT
AREA 1
31 LAWRENCE B MURPHY
10 JAMES R OPP

LEE COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT
AREA 3
18 MIKE ELLIS
13 TIM GARDNER