WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville
Wheeler romped to victory over Scott Costello in the county’s second district in northwest Gainesville, making her the only woman on the 5-member board.
Read More »Alachua County Commission District 2 Election: Marihelen Wheeler Beats Two Opponents
Voters Face Long Lines, Machine Snafus, ‘Mosh Pit’ Crowds
Long lines and malfunctioning machines marred the early hours of voting in some precincts across the country Tuesday. Some of the biggest problems were in Georgia, a state with a hotly contested gubernatorial election, where some voters reported waiting up to three hours to vote.
Read More »The Youth Vote: What’s Happening In Alachua County Schools to Heighten Election Knowledge?
As of Monday, more than 5 million Floridians voted by mail or cast a ballot during the state’s early voting period – exceeding the 3.19 million voters who voted before Election Day in 2014. Among those voters, 70,426 were in Alachua County.
Read More »The Student Socialist: Stetson Cooper Views Medicare, Minimum Wage As Top Themes
Stetson Cooper, a democratic socialist living in Republican Ocala, has no qualms expressing his political views in the primarily red town.
Read More »The Transgender Man: Kane Barr Votes For the Voiceless
Kane Barr is a transgender man who prioritizes LGBTQ issues in politics. He uses his experiences to educate LGBTQ youth now.
Read More »The Caregiver: Healthcare, Wage Gap Issues Hit Close To Home For Sharon Burney
Sharon Burney raised and supports her 35-year-old daughter who suffers from renal failure and seizures. She looks to her elected officials to expand Medicaid and bridge the income gap.
Read More »Small Town, Big Family: Crystal Smith’s America Is ‘Based On Everybody’
Crystal Monroe credits her big family for influencing her political decisions. She doesn't like to label herself as Republican or Democrat, but instead identifies as being “about prosperity and moving forward.”
Read More »The Mexican-American Millennial: Angel Padilla’s Heritage Defines His Politics
When he was 12, Angel Padilla’s father, Candelario, woke him up before dawn to pour concrete for his construction company. That hardworking ethic of his Mexican immigrant parents stayed with him into adulthood. Now 22, Angel says his Mexican heritage and culture define him in many ways, and has led him …
Read More »Florida Becomes Epicenter of Nation’s Polarizing Politics
Florida is emerging as an epicenter of the nation’s polarizing politics in the final days of the 2018 campaign. In the closely contested campaign for governor, President Donald Trump and GOP nominee Ron DeSantis have used what has been called racially coded language to slam Democrat Andrew Gillum. The battles …
Read More »In Wake Of Pittsburgh Synagogue Shootings, UF Student Cherishes Her Faith Journey
I grew up in a large suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, where my family was one of three Jewish households in the area. We are Reform Jews. At most, we attended temple five times a year, only when we had to. We celebrated Christmas because we liked Santa and tinseled …
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