Despite receiving more than 70% of the vote in Tuesday’s primary election, incumbent Groveland Mayor Keith “Chef” Keogh must face challenger Judith Fike again in November.

Under Groveland’s election process, the two mayoral candidates receiving the most votes advance to a runoff regardless of whether either earns a majority in the primary.

Keogh led the three-candidate race with 2,208 votes, or 70.23%. Fike finished second with 521 votes, or 16.57%, securing the other spot on the November ballot. Dina Sweatt received 415 votes, or 13.20%, and was eliminated from the race.

Keogh says the primary results affirmed residents’ support for the city’s current direction but did not end the campaign.

“I’m really flattered that the public has put their trust in me,” Keogh says. “The citizens of this city like the direction we’re going in now, from a business and limited growth standpoint, as well as bringing new services in, like a hospital, schools and possibly a hotel.”

He says providing more services within Groveland could reduce the amount of time residents spend traveling outside the city.

“We want to keep people off the roads by having the services here and I think that that election kind of solidified that direction and it gives us the mandate to keep moving forward,” Keogh says.

Keogh is completing his first two-year term as mayor. The winner in November will serve four years following a voter-approved charter change extending City Council terms.

Keogh says the longer term will give city leaders more time to evaluate, negotiate and implement projects that often take longer than two years to complete.

“I think the four-year term is going to give us the ability to negotiate, implement, and make sure that we’re conducting the business correctly, no matter which segment it is in,” he says.

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As he prepares for the runoff, Keogh plans to continue taking his message directly to residents. He says campaigning door to door helps him better understand what people want from their city, including clean water, playgrounds and places to walk and run.

“It’s the little things that people want to improve their quality and you get that information back every time you run and it kind of keeps you centered,” he says.

Fike, a former Groveland City Council member who currently serves on the Lake County Planning and Zoning Board, views her second-place finish as an opportunity to sharpen the distinctions between the remaining candidates.

“I see Tuesday kind of as a springboard into the general,” Fike says.

Her campaign will continue emphasizing affordable water, responsible growth, public safety, fiscal responsibility and stability at City Hall.

“The water situation in Groveland is number one in everybody’s mind,” Fike says. “So water affordability, responsible growth, of course, that goes hand in hand. Public safety, fiscal responsibility, stability, the very platform that I’ve had all along.”

Fike says her professional background includes owning a cake shop, working in insurance and financial planning and helping corporations manage employee health care plans. She later worked for the University of Phoenix, retiring in 2010 as a regional director of business development. She now operates a small catering company.

She says her experience managing teams and working with people of different viewpoints has shaped how she would approach the mayor’s office.

“I believe in listening, bringing people together,” Fike says. “I always say bring it to the table, and making decisions based on facts rather than personalities. I don’t believe one person has all the answers. And a healthy city government should operate that way.”

Between now and November, Fike plans to knock on doors, organize a meet-and-greet and increase her direct outreach to voters.

“We’re going to be out knocking on doors, talking to the citizens, listening to what they have to say and hearing all about what they feel they need,” she says. “After all, they’re the reason I’m running and who I would be serving.”