Single-member district initiative passes, Democrats win County Commission seats, Harvey Ward wins election for Mayor of Gainesville

Chuck Clemons and Keith Perry at election party

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – In unofficial results, the charter amendment for single-member districts passed by over 2500 votes, the Wild Spaces & Public Places surtax passed, Democrats won all the county commission seats, and Republicans won the state and federal offices.

Unofficial results as of 10:00 p.m.

U.S. Senator

Marco Rubio (REP) – 57.78%
Val Demings (DEM) – 41.18%
Other candidates – 1.04%

U.S. Representative, 3rd Congressional District

Kat Cammack (REP) – 62.65%
Danielle Hawk (DEM) – 36.15%
Linda S. Brooks – 1.2%

Governor

Ron DeSantis (REP) – 59.48%
Charlie Crist (DEM) – 39.87%
Other candidates – 0.65%

Attorney General

Ashley Moody (REP) – 60.69%
Aramis Ayala (DEM) – 39.31%

Chief Financial Officer

Jimmy Patronis (REP) – 59.57%
Adam Hattersley (DEM) – 40.43%

Commissioner of Agriculture

Wilton Simpson (REP) – 59.4%
Naomi Esther Blemur (DEM) – 40.6%

State Senate, District 9

Keith Perry (REP) – 65.57%
Rodney Long (DEM) – 34.43%

State Representative, District 21

Hollye Merton (REP) – 39.89%
Yvonne Hayes Hinson (DEM) – 60.11%

State Representative, District 22

Chuck Clemons (REP) – 56.38%
Brandon Peters (DEM) – 43.62%

County Commissioner (1)

Raemi Eagle-Glenn (REP) – 41.35%
Mary Alford (DEM) – 58.65%

County Commissioner (2)

Ed Braddy (REP) – 42.31%
Marihelen H. Wheeler (DEM) – 57.69%

County Commissioner (4)

Van Elmore (REP) – 39.46%
Ken Cornell (DEM) – 57.81%
Anthony Johnson (NPA) – 2.72%

Judge of the 8th Judicial Circuit, Group 12

Sean Brewer – 66.52%
AuBroncee Martin – 33.48%

Gainesville City Mayor

Ed Bielarski – 42.44%
Harvey Ward Jr – 57.56%

Gainesville City Commission District 2

Ed Book – 51.19%
James Ingle – 48.81%

Gainesville City Commission District 3

Dejeon Lamar Cain – 46%
Casey Willits – 54%

High Springs Seat 3

Eyvonne Andrews – 20.53%
Tristan Grunder – 47.84%
Linda Jones – 31.63%

Soil and Water Conservation Group 1

Richard Feagle – 43.57%
Jancie Vinson – 56.43%

Soil and Water Conservation Group 2

Archie L. Matthews – 56.39%
Chris Trowell – 43.61%

Soil and Water Conservation Group 3

Walt Boyer – 51.59%
Daniel “Danny” Gordon – 48.41%

Soil and Water Conservation Group 4

Nevaeh Martinez Renwick – 49.45%
Patrick Sell – 50.55%

Soil and Water Conservation Group 5

Natasha F. Holt – 41.91%
Patricia Lee – 58.09%

Limitation on Assessment of Real Property Used for Residential Purposes

Yes for Approval – 57.26%
No for Rejection – 42.74%

Amendments require 60% to pass

Abolishing the Constitution Revision Commission

Yes for Approval – 53.88%
No for Rejection – 46.12%

Amendments require 60% to pass

Additional Homestead Property Tax Exemption for Specified Public Services Workforce

Yes for Approval – 58.65%
No for Rejection – 41.35%

Amendments require 60% to pass

Amending the County Charter to Provide for County Commissioner Elections in Single-Member Districts

Yes – 51.48%
No – 48.52%

Wild Spaces Public Places, Road Repair, Fire Stations, and Affordable Housing One Percent Sales Tax

FOR the one-cent sales tax – 52.13%
AGAINST the one-cent sales tax – 47.87%

City of Gainesville Charter Amendment (Special Elections)

Yes – 63.94%
No – 36.06%

  • WHY do they have to include “affordable housing” with road repair? I am tired of supporting welfare recipients.

    • That’s the very covert and well-camouflaged wording that one sitting county commissioner specifically intended. It’s meant to distract the voter.

  • So our Re-Ward is another DEC advised and directed ignorant stoog, H Ward! This blows! The whole community will suffer much . The quicker we go bankrupt, the sooner these fools won’t be in charge. That’s the only way to get rid of them.

  • “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” -H.L. Mencken

  • The results indicate that Gainesville is primarily comprised of a bunch of individuals, individuals who care primarily about themselves and the government subsidies local leaders will provide.
    They didn’t vote for anything – they voted against an “R.”

    Only a knucklehead would vote a tax increase for themselves during this time of record inflation. Then again, those same knuckleheads don’t feel they should have any responsibility or accountability for choices they have made. The others, they have theirs and don’t want you to have yours.

    Hope you enjoy the results of your vote. If I hear someone complaining about taxes, I’ll inquire as to who they voted for.

    • Agree, but Bielarski wasn’t a Republican. The sheep 🐑 in GAIENSVILLE have a mind virus.

      Hold onto your wallet folks.

      • Yeah, I wasn’t thrilled about Bielarski either, I worked for him at GRU but he was better than Harvey Ward.

  • 50 tears of government control of education has destoyed common sense and critical thinking!

  • More of the SOS for another 2 years. Too many idiots voting for higher taxes and crappy roads. Maybe the single member district voting will restore some balance and sanity next time?

  • On the city commission, we’ll have Casey Willits, Bryan Eastman, and Reina Saco on the progressive/demented left side. Cynthia Chestnut, Desmon Duncan-Walker, and Ed Book will be more normal. It will be up to Ward to decide where he stands on each issue – with the demented left or the normal folks. I’m not super-optimistic.

    • Me neither. Let’s see how fast Ward repudiates his prior vote against eliminating residential zoning now that he doesn’t have the luxury of taking a stalking horse position behind Poe.

  • A tax increase for the sole purpose of reducing property taxes of the public workforce? There is no end to the gluttony of government bureaucrats.

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