Read on Twitter
Following the primary races in Alachua County, FL tonight. Couldn’t help but notice what a historic night it is for that region, regardless of your politics.
Allow me to briefly explain:
Allow me to briefly explain:
Voters elected their first black sheriff in an area where people of color are targeted by LEOs and go through the court system at an alarming rate. Clovis Watson, a former House rep, defeated longtime incumbent Sadie Darnell, who was the state’s only female sheriff.
Two black women were elected to the the school board which has been largely held by white board members over the years. This is after the district’s decision to change the name of a school, one named after a Confederate soldier, a decision put off for years despite many requests.
Voters also elected Ayesha Solomon to become county’s first black Property Appraiser. Solomon takes over for Ed Crapo, who was retiring after 4 decades in office, dating back to Ronald Reagan.
Voters have long desired to have more diverse leadership in the county to meet its demographic and tackle many disparities in issues such as the judicial system, education and property ownership.
For more context, Alachua Co is disturbingly a place where it was found that more African Americans were lynched/executed than anywhere else in the state. In recent years, a Confederate statue/ names on buildings were removed. For more info on all this, read the @GainesvilleSun
