The crowd at the Heartwood Soundstage in Gainesville erupted in cheers when Democratic incumbent Ken Cornell won his fourth term as the District 4 chair on the Alachua County Commission Tuesday night.
Now going on his 13th year on the commission, Cornell, 57, beat out opponent Dewayne Baines, a no-party-affiliated 48-year-old social worker who has served on the Alachua County Land Conservation Board for three years.
The election was called in Cornell’s favor at around 8 p.m. at the Alachua Democrats’ watch party, though only 17% of the votes had been reported by the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections at that point.
Cornell’s margin stood at roughly 78% when he took the stage to thank the community for a fourth term, specifically acknowledging Generation Z as a major influencer this election. By the end of the night, that number only decreased to around 75%.
After leaving the stage, Cornell said the commission has been working hard to repave roads and advance infrastructure in the county, and it will continue to do so after Tuesday’s results.
“I think tonight was a real indication that the county commission needs to continue listening to our community and doing the things that they’re asking us to do,” he said.
Retired Gainesville resident Lee Malis, 67, said he voted for Cornell because he finds in his past three terms that Cornell’s always voted “the right way.” For him, fighting deforestation and capping construction in Gainesville should be priorities for the Alachua County Commission.
“I have a very similar point of view [to Cornell],” he said.
Malis said he attended Tuesday’s watch party because he disapproves of the direction the country has headed in since the 2024 presidential elections, and he feels the midterms can lead to change.
Tuesday’s Alachua County results mark a nearly 20% increase in Cornell’s win totals since 2022, when he garnered 57.87% of the popular vote in a three-way race against Republican opponent Van Elmore and no-party-affiliate Anthony Johnson.
His 2026 campaign, though, focused on infrastructural road development, environmental responsibility and affordable housing, according to his campaign website. Baines similarly expressed priorities on environmental protection and affordable housing, while also highlighting support for small businesses and rural areas.
In the past, Cornell said he, alongside the commission, helped preserve more than 36,000 acres of forests, wetlands and prairies, and on roads, aside from paving, he’s supported the addition of a pothole cruise and resources to identify and fix potholes as soon as they open.
But of specific disagreement between the candidates was Amendment 3, a contentious Florida ballot provision proposing the increase of homestead exemption in property tax payments to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028.
While Cornell previously told WUFT he believes the amendment is “a scam,” emphasizing the estimated $60 million the county would lose in property tax revenue if it passed, Baines said the potential monetary cuts could be replenished by rearranging the county’s budget, and not passing the amendment would be worse for property tax rates in the long run.
James Blackman, a 19-year-old University of Florida political science student, said he voted for Cornell because he believes the commissioner has shown great support for the efforts of Democratic students on campus.
“He’s definitely shown up for us when we needed it, and that’s why I voted for him,” he said.
In the next year, Blackman said he hopes Cornell prioritizes tackling the effects of Amendment 3, which he called a “horrific tax policy.”
Amendment 3 passed Tuesday night, and Cornell has considered Blackman’s wishes. After his win, the commissioner said the county will prioritize remedying the outcomes of the ballot provision.
“That’s really going to drive a lot of our decisions in the coming weeks,” he said.
Baines said that for his first time running, and considering his limited budget, he is proud of the 26% of the county that voted for him.
While Cornell raised roughly $122,353 this year, Baines fell about $116,000 short, raising $6,351. But around $4,000 of that fund went to the Election Committee, Baines said, leaving him with only $2,000.
Baines said that while he has no current plans for future political endeavors, Tuesday night was not a loss.
“I feel, even though I lost in the polls, I still feel like I won,” he said. “I thank everyone who came out and voted, who supported me. That 26% meant a lot to me.”