Alachua County Candidates Campaign at Bo Diddley Plaza
Several local political candidates campaigned at Bo Diddley Plaza Sunday afternoon.
Candidates campaigning included Amy Trask for Florida House District 22, Xavier Monroe for Florida House District 21, Antoine Fields for for Florida House District 21, Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson for Florida House District 10, Jason Bellamy-Fults for Florida House District 6, Seth Harp for U.S. House District 3, Sarah Rockwell for Alachua County School Board (SBAC) District 3, Hunter Miller for SBAC District 1, Ken Cornell for Alachua County Commission District 4, Tina Certain for Alachua County Commission District 2, Charlie Ray Jackson for Alachua County Commission District 2, and Evan Morgan Moon for Gainesville Mayor.
David Jolly, the front running Democratic nominee for governor, was not present at the event, but a representative from his campaign spoke on his behalf.
Bryan Eastman for Gainesville City Commission District 4 was also present but he already won back his seat due to nobody opposing him.
The event was relatively quiet and there were between 65-110 people present, with attendance varying due to the rain, which also caused speakers to start later. The speakers consisted of Trask, Malwitz-Jipson, Cornell, Rockwell, Eastman and Jolly’s representative, but other candidates had an opportunity to talk a bit about their platforms.
Jackson said one of his priorities is community safety. “Let’s get these guns out of the community, let’s fix these broken roads, and let’s take care of our schools,” he said. “We should have an environment where we should have school choice… Let’s get these property taxes down for the citizens of this great county.”
Fields said his campaign is about “No Pacs—just people” and that he's proudly a progressive.
During his speech, Cornell said he loves hearing Fields say “No Pacs—just people,” and that that’s what it’s all about.
Cornell said, “Tallahassee, as you know, is on the rampage of preempting your county commission. Whether that’s what the sheriff says and does or what the county commissioners say and do. The only real way to change that is at the ballot box.”
Cornell said that he had the opportunity to hear from Jolly when he was the keynote speaker at an event for the Florida Association of Counties. Cornell said that Jolly was “very well received” at the majority-Republician gathering.
Cornell said that he and the “handful of Democrats” at the event went to talk to Jolly after his speech, and they were “joined by a group of Republican county commissioners that have pledged their support to David Jolly.”
“There's something happening in our country. There’s something happening in our state,” Cornell said. “There’s definitely something happening in Alachua County. We are at the tip of the sphere.”
Cornell went on to introduce Eastman, calling him “the badass on Instagram.” Eastman thanked him for the “WWE introduction.”
Eastman said Gainesville and Alachua County are the center of progressive politics in Florida. He said the state is on the front lines of “pushing more MAGA and conservative values” and “what new is coming out of conservatism; a lot of the ugliness going on from overruling elections to cutting down our public education, to tearing down beautiful environmental landscapes, and all for the benefit of special interests folks that don’t—that are not here for the benefit of the community.”
Eastman went on to say that people across the nation are looking at Donald Trump’s second term and seeing “they’ve made a terrible mistake” due to being in “wars that we should not be in” and “promises that were made about cost of living… [and] where communities should be broken.”
Rockwell said that public education in Florida is “under attack financially with our school choice programs… all of the money for education, whether it’s a school choice voucher or the per student funding for a public school student, [it] comes out of the same pot of money. The State of Florida estimates how much money they’ll need, how many students they’ll have. They always, without fail, underestimate.”
Rockwell said that when funding is lowered, it’s lowered for public school students.
Rockwell said, “Your public schools are accredited. They have certified teachers. They teach the state curriculum. They take state accountability tests. They accept students with disabilities, English Language learners, students with attendance or behavior problems. They provide transportation. They provide meals. Private schools do none of those things; not a single one. If our state is successful in destroying public education, the only options left will be students on waiting lists. Students hoping that there’s a school that will take them even though they have a disability. Children who hope they can get to school without transportation. We cannot afford that because public education is the foundation of a strong community, a strong society, and a strong democracy. We need educated voters. We need citizens who have an education that will give them job opportunities to reduce crime. We need our public schools.”
Rockwell said she has a track record of fighting for public schools and that they “need to make hard decisions” to ensure school efficiency during “this time of financial uncertainty and tightening budgets.” Rockwell said the limited funds they have need to be directed towards directly impacting students, teachers and staff.
Rockwell cited the increase in school grades during her time on the school board
Without naming him directly, Rockwell appeared to reference Gregory Pelham, who is running for her seat.
“My opponent says he wants to move things back to the way they were,” she said. “He says he wants change but what he actually wants is to go back to the way things were because making real change is hard, and it’s scary, and it means taking risks that we’re not sure will pay off, but they are paying off and we need to stay the course.”
Rockwell said that students need to be protected from legislation that teaches that Black people benefited slavery and that parents need to know they can opt their children out. Rockwell added that the school district needs to know when to not over comply with anti-LGBTQ legislation in schools out of fear. “I have done those things and I will continue to do those things as your next school board member,” she said.
In her speech, Trask questioned the allocation of wealth in the U.S., saying “when we have billions of dollars in surplus and reserves… Why is it so hard to survive?” She said that “survival should be the floor that we build from and not the ceiling we aspire to reach.”
Trask said she is running to tackle the cost of existence, which she said is the language she uses because “affordability just doesn’t cut it and minimizes the situation we’re actually in.”
Trask criticized state congress for passing bills that go against home-rule, citing Gainesville Regional Utilities, the Agricultural Enclaves bill, and the Blue Ribbon Projects bill.
Not naming her opponent Chad Johnson directly, Trask alluded to him, saying voters will have to choose whether or not to vote for someone who “maintain[s] the status quo” and has “been bought and paid for.”
Trask said that Johnson went against his Day 1 promises and votes against his constituents. Citing his employment as an auctioneer, Trask said Johnson is selling District 22 to the highest bidder
The last speaker was Malwitz-Jipson. Seemingly referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), she said that law enforcement at every level, including federal, should be identifiable.
Malwitz-Jipson said, “We all make better decisions, build better communities and live better lives when every voice is heard and every person is seen. Parents need to know their children are safe, healthy and being educated by people who care. Neighbors need to know their concerns matter. Communities need spaces; literal and civic, where people can gather, create and belong.”
Malwitz-Jipson said arts, multicultural education and honest history should not be extracurriculars, but part of the core curriculum.
Malwitz-Jipson voiced her support for environmental protections, and said taking care of the environment is practical, not idealistic.
The primary election is set for August 18, with early voting taking place from August 7 — August 15. The general election is scheduled for November 3.
