Voters elect to retain majority of incumbents

ALACHUA, ARCHER and NEWBERRY – City elections Tuesday night saw a former commissioner defeat a former mayor in Archer, while incumbents won by wide margins in Alachua and narrowly in Newberry.

Alachua’s electorate voted heavily in favor of incumbents Mayor Gib Coerper and Commissioner Robert Wilford as they defeated challengers Tamara Robbins and Linda Lundy 627 to 242 and 568 to 290 respectively. Coerper garnered 72 percent of the vote while Wilford captured 66 percent.

Coerper and Wilford both said they look forward to continuing the work they have been involved in with the City Commission in Alachua.

“I truly appreciated getting to meet new people, walking through neighborhoods [while campaigning],” Coerper said. “The positive outlook everyone has is outstanding. They’re excited to be here, to live in Alachua.”

“It’s been an honor to serve, and I look forward to Alachua’s future, with continued development along I-75 and many bright days ahead,” said Wilford. “We’ve had the same commission in place since 2012, and we work well together even though we don’t always agree.”

Archer’s Joan White received 65 percent of the vote in her 154 to 82 victory over incumbent Commissioner Doug Jones. White said she attributes her win to a strong group of supporters.

“They stood by me,” she said. “They went with me, and they were honest and were straightforward with the citizens.”

White said she feels she resonated with voters because she wants to make citizens involved in the government process again.

“They [citizens] didn’t feel like they were a part of it,” she said. “They didn’t feel like they were getting the respect that they deserved, they didn’t feel like they were being listened to and I think that’s what did it.”

Newberry City Commissioner Rick Coleman defeated challenger Darryl Bowdoin by a margin of 277 to 199, representing 58 percent of the vote. Coleman was thankful for a positive campaign experience and was eager to continue work the commission has been involved in, including going into a contract with the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office after the city opted out of the Alachua County Law Enforcement Municipal Service Taxing Unit.

“It was great,” he said. “My opponent worked very hard and ran a very clean race. I just want to thank the citizens of Newberry for having the confidence to vote me back in.”

Other commissioners were reelected to new terms Tuesday night without facing opposition. In Archer, Commissioners Marjorie Zander and Fletcher Hope will begin new four-year terms, while Commissioners Monty Farnsworth and Jason McGehee begin new two-year terms in Newberry.

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