The Alachua County Democratic Party held its Florida House of Representatives District 21 candidate forum Thursday ahead of the Aug. 18 primary elections.
House District 21 encompasses Alachua and Marion counties. The 90-minute Q&A forum took place at the Cotton Club Museum & Cultural Center, a historic African American cultural spot in Gainesville.
Five Democratic candidates qualified for the ballot: Antione Fields, Jacquelyn Randall, Malik J. Moore, Xavier J. Monroe and Sylvain Doré.
Doré canceled minutes before the event because of an emergency on his property, according to an event organizer.
Candidates answered questions on education vouchers, property insurance, affordability, Gainesville Regional Utilities, LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive care. Questions were provided to all candidates at the same time ahead of the event.
Ayana Archer, the 42-year-old precinct leader of the Alachua County Democratic Party, said having a group of competitive candidates is important.
“Everyone has a ‘why,’ and that ‘why’ resonates with different groups of people,” she said. “Having a diverse group of people specializing in their ‘why’ may speak to certain groups of people and get them out to vote.”
Here’s what to know about the candidates.
Antione Fields
A self-described progressive organizer and union member, Fields is originally from Jacksonville but was raised in Ocala. He worked in the Florida Legislature while attending the University of Central Florida and contributed to the criminal justice reform package passed by the House in 2021.
The criminal justice reform law requires law enforcement agencies to create a statewide standard for how police use force.
During the forum, Fields advocated for universal healthcare, paid family leave, a living wage and stronger labor protections. He said he does not accept corporate PAC or lobbyist contributions.
“We are in desperate need of change, and I am tired of waiting,” Fields said. “I’m sick of political leaders who act with too much caution and not enough courage.”
He also called for restoring local control over utilities, expanding affordable housing, strengthening environmental regulations and increasing transparency in the property insurance industry.
The battle over control of local utilities dates back to 2023, when Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed a state-run authority board to manage GRU. Gainesville has held two referendums to restore local control over the utility. Due to ongoing legal battles, the decision to reinstate local control has not been implemented.
In late June, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law that further strengthens the state’s control over GRU.
Jacquelyn Randall
Randall, the former mayor of Hawthorne, is a mother of three, an educator and worked as a respiratory therapist during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said she spent the past seven years serving her local community and is prepared to expand that work in Tallahassee.
“It's time for us to have somebody that comes from the ground and take the message to Tallahassee versus Tallahassee telling us what to do and trying to orchestrate that,” she said.
She emphasized affordability, strengthening public education and protecting access to healthcare. She said parents should have educational choices that do not come at the expense of public schools, like using public school funding for private school vouchers.
Randall was among those who advocated against the closure of Hawthorne schools amid districtwide rezonings and closures.
Randall also said medical decisions should be made between patients and their healthcare providers, not lawmakers, referring to state legislation aimed at restricting reproductive care access.
Malik J. Moore
A Gainesville native, Santa Fe College graduate and former Florida legislative chief of staff, Moore stressed the importance of building relationships across party lines to pass legislation despite Democrats' minority status in the House.
He said his background would allow him to begin advancing legislation on his first day in office.
Specifically, Moore said he would file a formal request on his first day to review the state's takeover of GRU because residents have not seen lower rates or transparency about how revenue is being reinvested into sustainable energy.
Gainesville Commissioner Bryan Eastman has previously said taxpayers have lost over $30 million under the promise GRU bills will decrease, but rates have stayed the same across the board since 2023.
Moore also criticized the state for using money from affordable housing trust funds. He added lawmakers have treated them like a "piggy bank" for other priorities.
In March, DeSantis came under fire for the use of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Shelter and Services Program to fund Alligator Alcatraz, a now-closed immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades.
“We have invested money as a state into affordable housing,” he said. “The problem is we have a governor and a legislature who allows him to sweep it for whatever they see as politically convenient at the time.”
Xavier J. Monroe
Monroe called himself a “child of East Gainesville” and pointed to his long history of civic involvement and public service — such as efforts to support local libraries and expand opportunities for youth civic engagement.
On governance and local control, Monroe, who has an engineering background, called for smart growth policies that balance population increases with finite natural resources. He also said infrastructure upgrades to houses are important but need to be affordable.
He said his campaign is authentic and framed the race as an opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to House District 21.
Monroe repeatedly said he’s someone who understands how to “make friends of the enemy, not necessarily with them.”
“When we work together, we get things done,” he said.
Thursday’s forum attracted roughly 50 people. Forum attendees said they were satisfied with the options they have to vote on.
Jennifer Nobles, a 62-year-old retired electrical manager, said she became more involved in politics after moving to Florida from California.
She volunteers with the Rural Woman’s Health Project, a non-profit organization supporting healthcare access.
Nobles said healthcare and rising insurance rates are two issues important to her. While she liked Field’s involvement with unions, Moore’s political experience also stood out to her, she said.
“They are all so well spoken and qualified,” she said. “It’s going to be hard to pick.”
Contact Julianna Bendeck at jbendeck@alligator.org.
Julianna Bendeck is a first-year journalism student and the Summer 2026 criminal justice reporter. She previously worked as a contributing writer and race and equity reporter at The Alligator. Outside the newsroom, she enjoys reading, surfing the web and playing video games.
