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Election Guide for Alachua, Marion Counties

Floridians are set to head to the polls Tuesday to vote in the primary elections.

Alachua County voters’ ballots will include races for sheriff, supervisor of elections, county commission and school board. Meanwhile, Marion County's races will include sheriff, superintendent of schools, county commission and school board.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, and those in line by 7 p.m. will still be allowed to cast their ballots.

If you need to find out your voting location, visit the Florida Division of Elections website. From there, enter your first and last name and birthday, and then submit. On the next page, a link will say “Your Polling Location,” and this will provide the precinct information as well as a sample ballot.

The races below from Alachua and Marion counties represent only those that are contested within a party: Democrats Sadie Darnell and Zac Zedalis for Alachua County sheriff, for example. Unlisted are those who are running unopposed or are their party’s only possibility. These candidates will automatically appear on the Nov. 8 General Election ballot.

ALACHUA COUNTY

Sheriff (Democrat)


  • Sadie Darnell
  • Zac Zedalis

Supervisor of Elections (only Democrats running, but race is open to all Alachua County voters)


  • Kim A. Barton
  • William Dove Boyett
  • Jeremy M. Clements

County Commissioner District 1 (Democrat)


  • Mike Byerly
  • Kevin W. Thorpe

County Commissioner District 3 (Democrat)


  • Robert “Hutch” Hutchinson
  • Larry McDaniel

State Committeewoman (Republican)


  • DeLena C. May
  • Sherrie V. McKnight

School Board District 2 (nonpartisan race)


  • Juliun Kinsey
  • Eileen Roy

MARION COUNTY

Sheriff (Democrat)


  • Ed Dean
  • Dennis McFatten

Sheriff (Republican)


  • Chris Blair*
  • Kerry L. Crawford
  • Billy Woods

*The ballot notes that “a vote cast for Chris Blair will not count.”

Superintendent of Schools (Republican)


  • Heidi Maier
  • George D. Tomyn

County Commissioner District 1 (Republican)


  • David Moore
  • Daniel Owen

County Commissioner District 3 (Republican)


  • Roy Abshier
  • Don Browning
  • Danielle Damato Doty
  • Jeff Gold

County Commissioner District 5 (Republican)


  • Earl R. Arnett
  • Anthony James
  • Russell Matzinger
  • Brigitte Smith
  • Michelle Stone

School Board District 2 (nonpartisan)


  • Bill Archibald
  • Richard Evans
  • Beth McCall

State Committeeman


  • Steven Shaw Enos
  • Chuck Pardee

Committeeman Precinct 0001 (Republican)


  • Glen Charles Fiorello
  • Matthew J. Wardell

Committeeman Precinct 0003 (Republican)


  • Steven C. Durand
  • Michael Skinner
  • Ernest E. Walden
  • William K. Walker

Committeewoman Precinct 3810 (Republican)


  • Agatha M. Cayla
  • Cindy A. Kauffman
  • Pamela Lough
  • Sue Mosley

Solar Constitutional Amendment: Solar Devices or Renewable Energy Source Devices; Exemption from Certain Taxation and Assessment (open to all Florida voters) Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to authorize the Legislature, by general law, to exempt from ad valorem taxation the assessed value of solar or renewable energy source devices subject to tangible personal property tax, and to authorize the Legislature, by general law, to prohibit consideration of such devices in assessing the value of real property for ad valorem taxation purposes. This amendment takes effect January 1, 2018, and expires on December 31, 2037.

Michael is an editor who can be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.