A Republican Primary for the County Commission!
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.
