Chuck Brannan
Eleven years ago, Chuck Brannan lost his wife of 18 years in a traffic crash.
She was his college sweetheart whom he met at UF. The incident left Brannan to raise his deaf, then 12-year-old son, Chase, as a single parent.
Now, his son is pursuing his master’s degree in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and Brannan is a Republican candidate for Florida House of Representatives District 10, which includes the northwest corner of Alachua County.
Brannan always knew he wanted to run for the legislature, but the timing was never perfect until he retired from being Chief Investigator at the Baker County Sheriff’s Office and a seat opened up.
“The stars were kinda lined up, and this was my chance,” Brannan said.
Throughout his life, Brannan has worked in many fields. Growing up on a poultry farm in Baker County, spending a year working full-time for the Florida Farm Bureau, obtaining a degree in criminal justice from UF, working for U.S. Marshall Services for three years and spending nearly 17 years on the board of trustees at Florida Gateway College — it was only natural for him to run for office, he said.
Throughout his involvement, especially within law enforcement, Brannan learned to understand and empathize with others better, he said.
“You see people at their best, see people at their worst,” Brannan said. “It gives you a compassion to people, and I believe compassion is an important quality for leadership.”
When he’s not involved with politics, he enjoys raising his commercial and show cattle.
His main priorities if elected would be continuing a cost-effective agenda, prioritizing staying in budget, promoting small businesses, preserving the natural beauty of Florida’s lakes, springs, oceans and beaches, advocating for businesses and providing a voice for farmers. As of the last reporting period, Brannan collected $96,161.23 in monetary and nonmonetary donations.
Honesty, perseverance and transparency are three words that could be used to describe Brannan, said his son, Chase. His favorite memory with his dad is when they attended a Florida State University versus UF football game. The experience of the game created a closer bond between the two and sparked his love for UF, Chase said.
“He’s all about public service, and that’s what I think encompasses it all,” Chase said.
Contact Dana Cassidy at dcassidy@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @danacassidy_
Ronald Williams
Education wasn’t always Ronald W. Williams II’s priority. It wasn’t until he locked eyes with his future wife at a Marine Corps headquarters that his world changed.
Tara Williams was the most gorgeous and brilliant woman he’d ever met, he said.
After retiring from the Marines, Williams’ wife encouraged him to go to college to become a social worker.
Before Williams decided to run for Florida House of Representatives District 10, the 48-year-old Democrat took his mom to lunch at a Zaxby’s in Alachua to get her blessing.
The next evening, he spoke with his father, who has served as a Columbia County Commissioner since Williams was in elementary school. He never thought he would run for office like his father, Williams said.
“I’ve always been a person who loves people and who wants to help people,” he said.
Williams’ campaign is developed around education, employment, social services and infrastructure, he said.
Williams founded Greater Heights Academy, a K-12 private school and day care center to help children who don’t thrive in public schools, he said. He advocates for accessible education by opening the school to anyone regardless of income.
Schools should consider placing more minorities in leadership positions to address racial inequity, he said.
“If we’re not diversified, we tend to cater to one thing or to one race or to one thought,” he said. “Hire the woman, hire the African American, and they can pass on their thoughts and beliefs and help make the school more well-rounded.”
Williams became a social worker to give people a sense of hope instead of weariness, he said. Mental health counseling and child care are only a couple of the social services he plans to implement for communities.
“We’re not cars, we’re not something mechanical,” he said. “Sometimes we do need help.”
Williams is working on a new proposal for the juvenile justice system, he said. Although the plan is still in its early stages, he wants to create a program to mentor young people in the system. He hopes to get the proposal started in the next five years, Williams said.
“It’s the Department of Corrections,” he said. “We want to correct people so they won’t come back. It’s supposed to be an educational system in itself.”
Williams received $4,462 in monetary and nonmonetary donations, according to campaign finance records.
Tara Williams believes some issues will never change, but if anyone can do it, it’s her husband. On the day they met, she locked eyes with a hard-working and self-motivated man, she said.
“If something unfair is happening, he’s going to step in,” Tara Williams said. “He’s an advocator.”
Contact Jessica Curbelo at jcurbelo@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @jesscurbelo
Brannan, left, and Williams, right
