Alachua Voter Guide

I am excited to post that I am running for Alachua County Commission seat 3 which Paula Delaney currently occupies. This is so important to me that I filed in February but laid low while we tried to get Rob Zeller and Todd Chase elected to the Gainesville City Commission.
I will say that I am not your typical hand picked Alachua County Politician in that I am not part of the local political elite. I am just a regular guy that is willing to step up to redirect our Countys vision and bring fiscal responsibility and common sense principles into our government. I believe that not ever having held a political office is my advantage. I can more relate to the 95% of our citizens that live throughout the county that find it more and more challanging to make ends meet.
I will make Roads and Public Safety the first items addressed with each budget.
I will work with businesses in our county to identify and eliminate those regulations which make it difficult to open new businesses or that keep new businesses out. We need to recognize that Business growth is essential to all aspects of our lives as taxpayers and consumers and is the lifeblood of our communities.
I would also represent all the munincipalities equally in our county and recognize that any money spent belongs to the entire county and not just a small core group.
I am a registered Republican and am on the Alachua County Executive Committee. I am also a member of our local Tea Party which is made up of a very good cross section of all political parties in the county that are concerned with the current direction of the BOCC.
As I know that the BOCC should not make any decisions without the input of our citizens I would welcome your input and ideas on how to make our quality of life truly better by being more efficient with taxpayers money. As individuals we have had to learn to live within our means and our representative government should reflect the same idea. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I would appreciate the support as I move foward with my campaign. For more info you can contact me at 352-356-VOTE or through my website www.voteforwalt.com

There was a time in the not-distant past when it was hard to get a Republican to even run for a county-wide seat in this largely Democratic county. Adding to the difficulty was the common occurrence of a third-party or no-party candidate splitting the conservative vote. It looked like the same sort of thing would be happening in the County Commission’s District 3 race when Ward Scott (R) decided to get in with Lloyd Bailey (NPA) and whoever the Democrat would be in November.

Lloyd Bailey had been one of the 2 NPAs who ran, and lost, against Rodney Long in 2000. There was no Republican candidate that year. Bailey also lost Cynthia Chestnut in 2006, when there was no Republican in the field that year. Mr. Bailey, seeking a different result, has decided to change his strategy and try to take out the other conservative early, so he can face either Paula Delaney or her Democrat challenger, Bill Russell, alone in November. Bailey has switched his party identification to Republican, and that means Alachua County Republicans, for the first time in memory (if not history) will have a choice in who represents them on the ballot in November.

Lloyd Bailey has run twice before and has been the standard bearer for less government and lower taxes both times. A John Birch Society member, Bailey’s credentials as a conservative are beyond question. His decision to run as a Republican, a party that is probably not conservative enough for his taste, can best be interpreted as a strategy for winning instead of just standing on ceremony. This is also a real opportunity for the Republican voters in this county to show where they stand on the ideological continuum.

Ward Scott switched parties a couple of years ago, after losing a relatively close Democratic Primary for the county commission against the incumbent, Mike Byerly. Scott could be a strong candidate in November if he is able to attract a large number of Democrats who are loyal to him personally. But he will first have to convince Republicans that he can best represent them and their interests.

No matter how this turns out, it is extremely exciting to see how this could energize voters across the spectrum. There is a real opportunity for the citizens to learn what their local government is up to as things come out and issues get attention that are usually left in obscurity. I look forward to the performance of both candidates in this primary contest.