Santa Fe College Police Chief Ed Book announces candidacy for Gainesville City Commission District 3

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

Ed Book has filed to run for Gainesville City Commission District 3.

Book is a longtime Alachua County resident who has graduated from the University of Florida in 1984 and began a local career in law enforcement; he has been the Chief of Police at Santa Fe College since 2011.

According to a media release, Book has been extensively and actively committed in many organizations, such as Rotary and Keep Alachua County Beautiful. In Rotary, he has served as a Club President. He advises the Santa Fe College Rotaract Club, which he helped charter, and is a member of the Rotary Clubs of Gainesville Foundation Board, which provides funds to local non-profits for significant projects every year. Book initiated the Northside Park Generations Playground concept in 2015, which led to a comprehensive park redesign utilizing Wild Spaces Public Places and Rotary Foundation funds and was completed in 2020.

He has been married for 35 years to his wife Lori and has two children, Daniel and Alexandra, and one dog, Bella. Lori has taught first grade at Kimball Wiles Elementary School for over 30 years and is a previous Teacher of the Year recipient. Both Daniel and Alexandra graduated from Buchholz High School. Daniel is a nurse at UF Health, and Alexandra is a bartender at Top Shelf in Tampa. Alexandra previously performed in a variety of dance and acting roles for Busch Gardens before the pandemic. Daniel holds an AS from SF College and BS in Nursing from the University of Central Florida. Alexandra holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in dance from the University of Alabama. Ed’s mother is retired but has traveled worldwide serving as a nurse in impoverished areas and worked for the State Department. 

Book’s core platform focuses on service, civility, and engagement. He pledges to actively listen to, engage with, and respect citizens’ right to be heard. In his release, Book said he hopes to earn votes in District 3 as a dedicated, hard-working, ethical, and practical candidate who cares for this community. His campaign website can be found here, and his campaign Facebook page is here.