Alachua County Commission seats are decided by single-member districts

A single-district referendum, approved in November 2022 with approximately 51.5% of the vote, means that only voters residing in a particular district will cast ballots to elect their commissioner. All five commissioners were previously elected at the county level.

This year, there are only two seats up for grabs on the County Commission, both in the southwest corner of the county. Democratic incumbent Anna Prizzia will face Republican challenger Jenn Garrett in November, while District 1 incumbent Mary Alford will face Dejeon Cain in the Aug. 20 Democratic primary to determine who will face Lizabeth Ann Doebler in November. District 5 Commissioner Charles “Chuck” Chestnut is running unopposed.

“While I personally support at-large voting, I think the more important issue is allowing Alachua County residents to vote at-large with facts instead of the misinformation that was mailed to residents and funded by dark money prior to the last election,” Alford wrote in an email to The Sun. “Residents I have spoken to have overwhelmingly supported putting the issue back on the ballot. Many also support at-large voting and believe the commissioners represent their districts well while working for the good of the entire county. But we’ll see in November!”