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The Gainesville mayoral race heads to a runoff after a 9-person primary

Two portraits of the 2022 candidates for Gainesville mayor are edited side by side. On the left, in a purple polo, glasses and a beard, is Ed Bielarski. On the right, in a blue collared shirt and red tie, glasses and a goatee, is Harvey Ward.
Two portraits of the 2022 candidates for Gainesville mayor are edited side by side. On the left, in a purple polo, glasses and a beard, is Ed Bielarski. On the right, in a blue collared shirt and red tie, glasses and a goatee, is Harvey Ward.

Harvey Ward and Ed Bielarski are headed to a runoff in the November general election after emerging as the two top candidates for Gainesville mayor in Tuesday's primary.

Unofficial results from the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office showed neither candidate clearing the vote-getting majority threshold needed to avoid a runoff election.

Ward is in his second term as a Gainesville city commissioner and was among the four commissioners who in January voted to fire Bielarski as general manager of the city's utility.

Outgoing Mayor Lauren Poe was first elected in 2016 and was term-limited.

Correction appended: A previous version of this story's headline misstated that there were 10 candidates, not nine.

NameVotesPercentageContributionsExpenses
David Arreola3,19315.32%$31,048.48$23,333.27
Ed Bielarski5,54526.6%$35,175.92$30,502.20
Ansaun Fisher4382.1%$200$0
Gary Gordon3,00714.43%$18,925.78$14,578.76
Gabriel Hillel2711.3%$0$0
Adam Rosenthal2321.11%$0$472.29
Donald Shepherd2491.19%$0$0
July Thomas2,09210.04%$8,269.85$1,190.48
Harvey Ward5,81827.91%$45,308$33,868.72

Two of the three races for open city commission seats will also head to runoff contests in November. With no incumbents running, each seat will feature a new city commissioner.

Ed Book and James Ingle will face off for the District 2 seat.

NameVotesPercentageContributionsExpenses
Jo Lee Beaty1,68818.1%$8,234.94$4,808.03
Ed Book3,71439.82%$42,139.03$25,490.40
James Ingle2,54127.24%$28,254$19,001.08
Michael Raburn1,38414.84%$23,174.03$20,917.97

In District 3, Casey Willits fell just short of claiming a victory and will again be matched against Dejeon Cain in November.

NameVotesPercentageContributionsExpenses
Dejeon Cain66435.72%$15,056.20$8,000
Patrick Ingle28615.38%$1,707.28$1,404.02
Casey Willits90948.9%$10,290.44$7,500.54

In District 4, Bryan Eastman claimed victory over Christian Newman, according to unofficial results from the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections.

NameVotesPercentageContributionsExpenses
Bryan Eastman2,89553.05%$34,651$25,206.99
Christian Newman2,56246.95%$57,111.50$52,576.57

 

Contact WUFT News by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news @wuft.org