A Gator’s guide to local politics
By Olivia Lofaso | Aug. 12If you ask about local politics in Gainesville and Alachua County, many will likely describe the area as a “blue dot in a sea of red.”
Election
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Election
CVS manager unseats incumbent in controversial Alachua City Commission election
By Maria Arruda and Alexa Ryan | Apr. 15Jackson Youmas, a store manager of a CVS, beat incumbent Dayna Williams in Alachua’s City Commission election Tuesday.
Election
Gainesville commission candidate becomes first to qualify for ballot by petition
By Alexa Ryan | Apr. 2Candidates planning to run for city offices in Gainesville must qualify for the election by paying the fee or collecting enough petition signatures prior to the August election day.
Metro
Meet the 5 candidates running for Alachua County school board elections in August
By Grace Larson | Mar. 29Three seats are open in August’s Alachua County School Board election. Five candidates are on the ballot, including two incumbents.
Election
Vision Party takes Senate in walkover election
By Alligator Staff report | Feb. 25This Spring, Vision is the only party on the ballot; no independent or third-party candidates are running, so the election is entirely uncontested.
Opinion
OPINION: Florida’s 2026 primary is a test of tone
By Alannah Peters | Feb. 18In the gubernatorial primary, a divisive, confrontational campaign style does more than energize voters; it tests the party’s internal cohesion.
Enterprise
Alachua County Democratic Party alleges city’s precinct closure suppresses voters
By Alexa Ryan | Feb. 8The commission cited planned construction at the community center during the election as the reason behind the closure, though a start date for the project has not been released. The city of Alachua didn’t respond to phone calls requesting details on the project.
Opinion
Political burnout is suffocating Gen Z
By Alannah Peters | Jan. 26Political engagement among young people has fractured into two exhausting extremes, both of which push students toward disengagement.
Opinion
UF students are missing the elections that matter most
By Alannah Peters | Jan. 22If students want to see tangible changes during their time at UF, they need to start paying closer attention to state and local races that directly affect campus life.
Metro
Gainesville votes to return control of local utilities to City Commission, again
By Juliana DeFilippo | Nov. 4This story has been corrected to better reflect Bobby Mermer’s statements. It has also been updated with a statement from GRU CEO Ed Bielarski.
Metro
Meet the candidates for the Newberry Municipal Election
By Morgan Vanderlaan | Apr. 7, 2025Newberry residents will have the opportunity to vote on two city commission seats and the mayorship April 8.
Enterprise
Former Alachua County sheriff testifies at Pamela Bondi’s U.S. Senate hearing
By Vivienne Serret | Jan. 17, 2025Former Alachua County Sheriff Emery Gainey testified on behalf of Pamela Jo Bondi — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. Attorney General.
Metro
Alachua County passes referendum to convert commission districts back to at-large
By Sofia Meyers | Dec. 2, 2024A November referendum's passing converted the Alachua County Commission back to an at-large structure.
Metro
How do Gainesville residents feel about GRU referendum’s passing?
By Sofia Meyers | Nov. 20, 2024On Election Day, Gainesville residents had a choice to give Gainesville Regional Utilities power back to the Gainesville City Commission or leave it with the governor-appointed authority board. The referendum passed with 72%, with residents voting to give power back to the city.
Metro
‘We don’t know what’s next’: Reactions to Amendment 4’s failure
By Kairi Lowery | Nov. 19, 2024Florida's Amendment 4, meant to protect access to abortion, narrowly missed the state's required 60% majority to pass. While some disagreed with the legality of the amendment, some “Yes on 4” voters are hoping the result is appealed.
