Before the 2022 redistricting process, parts of Ocala and Marion County were part of Florida House of Representatives District 22.
That’s no longer the case.
Today, District 22 includes Levy, Gilchrist and parts of Alachua County like Gainesville and areas to its north.
After serving one two-year term in the newly remapped district, the incumbent Rep. Chuck Clemons, R-Newberry, couldn’t run for re-election because of term limits from his previous years serving as an elected official representating District 21. On Nov. 5, residents are voting for a new state representative who will earn $29,697 a year for the honor.
Meet the candidates running to succeed him: Democrat David Arreola and Republican Chad Johnson.
David Arreola
Arreola, 33, said he doesn’t like where state politics are heading.
“I think the state government is going in a direction that is not good for the average Floridian,” Arreola said, “and I want to change that.”
Arreola, who served two terms as a Gainesville City Commissioner from 2017 to 2022, said that he has had a lifelong draw to public service. He has held numerous public service positions including chair of the Alachua County Water and Climate Policy Board, chair of the Rental Housing Subcommittee and a member of the North Central Florida Planning Council. He was born and raised in Gainesville and was a city commissioner throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and after Hurricane Irma. He said he will do his best to represent both those who vote in support of him and against.
Arreola works for 21st Century Communications providing internet to those in rural areas. He was involved in a controversy over his residency, as during the primary, he was living in a home outside of the boundary of District 22. He has since moved to within the district.
(Editor’s Note: This information was taken from research and reporting from other publications and included details that the candidate said are misleading. In a conversation with Mr. Arreola after publication of this story, he said “it is not illegal” to live outside the district when running for office and that “you are only required to be living in your district the day you take office.” He is currently a resident of District 22, a search of voting records confirmed.)
Chad Johnson
Johnson, a former Levy County Commissioner from 2009 to 2014, said that no other primary candidates understood fiscally constrained and rural counties like Levy and Gilchrist counties.
“This district is where I have been fortunate to be born and raised in,” Johnson, 53 said. “I promise I will always do my best to represent the people of District 22.”
He said when he first decided to enter the race that his first goals were to research policy issues that were important to the people and to familiarize himself the needs of the communities.
Johnson was born in Gainesville and formerly worked as a UF/IFAS ambassador. He also served as the president of the Levy County Farm Bureau and the Florida Auctioneers Association. Clemons has endorsed Johnson.
Here is where the candidates stand on certain issues.
Insurance rates
Both candidates mentioned the need for insurance reforms. Johnson said one of his goals was to focus on bringing insurance premiums down. Arreola supports widespread reforms to insurance regulation, specifically advocating for people whose insurance claims are returned with less money than the nature of the damage to property.
Abortion
“I believe that every pregnant Floridian deserves adequate healthcare,” Arreola said. One of the main goals of his campaign, he said, is reversing Florida’s abortion ban after six-weeks of gestation. He said that it should not be the government’s position to regulate women’s bodies.
Johnson’s stance on abortion differs: He believes abortions should be prohibited for pregnancies beyond 13 weeks. He advocates for increasing the availability of contraceptives and the increased support of pregnant women as an alternative to abortion.
Gun rights
Both candidates had seemingly similar but nuanced responses on their stances on gun control.
“I absolutely support the Second Amendment as much as the First,” Johnson said. “We have a people problem, not a gun problem.”
Arreola said protecting Second Amendment rights is the reason he supports increasing background checks, red flag laws (the ability to confiscate guns from dangerous individuals) and secure storage.
Farming and fishing
Arreola and Johnson both talked about the importance of providing support to Levy and Gilchrist, both major agricultural counties. And they both stressed the importance of helping Cedar Key, which was hit by Hurricane Idalia last year and devastated by Hurricane Helene in September. The clam and oyster industry there is a large source of business for the district and the livelihood of many residents.
Marijuana
Both candidates agree that with proper regulation the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana would be a non-issue. However, they provided different responses regarding Amendment 3 which is on the ballot to allow adults to possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana or 5 grams of cannabis concentrate.
“Under Amendment 3, the proposed legal limit in Florida would be the largest in America, and 3 times the limits in California and Colorado,” said Johnson.
Johnson said that the issue would be addressed in legislature to debate merits and eliminate unintended consequences.
“I think that we have to begin to be real with ourselves, there is a disproportionate amount of folks incarcerated for marijuana,” said Arreola.
Arreola is in favor of Amendment 3 in order to reduce the number of individuals who are incarcerated for possession and use of marijuana. He believes the amendment will not pose any issue as there are still a lot of other regulations around smoking such as the Florida ban on smoking in indoor workplaces.
Both candidates said that in the remaining weeks before the election, they are focused on talking to voters and getting people to the polls.