Editing Alachua County, Florida (section)

== Politics and government ==
=== Statewide elections ===
Like many other counties containing large state universities, Alachua County regularly supports the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. It has voted for the Democratic candidate for [[President of the United States|president]] in the past eight elections. The county last supported a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] presidential candidate in 1988, when it narrowly went for [[George H. W. Bush]].

{{PresHead|place=Alachua County, Florida|source=<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS | title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|52,939|81,578|2,765|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|50,972|89,704|2,371|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|46,834|75,820|7,446|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|48,797|69,699|2,277|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|48,513|75,565|1,889|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|47,762|62,504|1,062|Florida}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|34,135|47,380|4,242|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|25,316|40,161|9,039|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|22,813|37,888|15,671|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|30,153|29,396|664|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|30,609|26,584|60|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1980|Democratic|19,804|26,849|4,711|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1976|Democratic|15,546|27,895|1,137|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|22,536|17,245|80|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|9,670|10,060|8,696|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|11,151|13,483|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|10,072|9,279|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|7,939|6,889|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|8,432|5,990|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1948|Dixiecrat|2,403|3,745|4,034|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|1,690|5,755|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|1,372|6,714|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|890|4,788|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|983|3,506|0|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1928|Democratic|1,824|1,965|219|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1924|Democratic|528|1,995|271|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1920|Democratic|1,119|3,310|135|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|440|2,030|75|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|221|1,304|206|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1908|Democratic|686|1,239|105|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1904|Democratic|543|1,277|103|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|334|1,346|76|Florida}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|645|1,545|55|Florida}}
{{PresFoot|1892|Democratic|0|1,447|270|Florida}}

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" align="center" style="font-size: 95%;"
|+ '''Previous gubernatorial election results'''
|-
! Year
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
! [[Third Party (United States)|Third Parties]]
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Florida gubernatorial election, 2022|2022]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|42.04% ''40,135''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''57.14%''' ''54,766''
|align="center" |0.82% ''784''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Florida gubernatorial election, 2018|2018]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|35.79% ''41,278''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''63.05%''' ''72,711''
|align="center" |1.04% ''1,203''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Florida gubernatorial election, 2014|2014]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|39.79% ''31,097''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''56.37%''' ''44,052''
|align="center" |3.84% ''3,004''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Florida gubernatorial election, 2010|2010]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|38.03% ''28,129''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''59.40%''' ''43,933''
|align="center" |2.57% ''1,899''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Florida gubernatorial election, 2006|2006]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|42.74% ''30,139''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''54.94%''' ''38,741''
|align="center" |2.32% ''1,636''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Florida gubernatorial election, 2002|2002]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|41.38% ''29,118''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''57.73%''' ''40,621''
|align="center" |0.90% ''629''
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Florida gubernatorial election, 1998|1998]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|44.79% ''23,812''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''55.19%''' ''29,343''
|align="center" |0.03% ''14'' 
|-
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|[[Florida gubernatorial election, 1994|1994]]
|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|38.16% ''21,624''
|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''61.82%''' ''35,030''
|align="center" |0.01% ''7'' 
|}
<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.votealachua.com/Elections-Records/Election-Results | title=Election Results}}</ref>

=== Voter registration ===
As of May 31, 2024, the county had a Democratic Party plurality, with large Republican and independent minorities.<ref>{{cite web |title=Voter Registration - By County and Party |url=https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/data-statistics/voter-registration-statistics/voter-registration-reports/voter-registration-by-county-and-party/ |access-date=December 28, 2023 |website=dos.myflorida.com |language=en}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2" |Name
!Number of voters
!%
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
|[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|72,579
|46.56%
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|44,642
|28.64%
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent (United States)}}
|[[Independent politician|No party affiliation]]
|34,816
|22.33%
|-
|
|[[Third party (United States)|Minor parties]]
|3,846
|2.47%
|-
! colspan="2" |Total
!155,883
!
|}

=== County offices ===
Alachua County is administered by the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners, a five-member legislative body. The Constitutional county-wide elected officials include the Clerk of the Court, the Supervisor of Elections, the Property Appraiser, the Sheriff, and the Tax Collector. The School Board and the Soil and Water Conservation District are also elected county-wide. Prior to 2024, county commissioners were elected at-large, but a ballot measure passed in 2022 created single-member district seats.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:10px&quot;"
! colspan="4" |Alachua County elected offices
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" |Office
! style="text-align:center;" |Office holder
! valign="bottom" |Party
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|Clerk of the Court
|Jess Irby
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Florida Democratic Party|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|Supervisor of Elections
|Kim Barton
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Florida Democratic Party|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|Property Appraiser
|Ayesha Solomon
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Florida Democratic Party|Democratic]]
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
|Sheriff
|Chad Scott
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Florida Democratic Party|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|Tax Collector
|John Power
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Democratic Party of Idaho|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|County Commissioner District 1
|Mary Alford (Chairwoman)
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Democratic Party of Idaho|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|County Commissioner District 2
|Marihelen Wheeler
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Democratic Party of Idaho|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|County Commissioner District 3
|Anna Prizzia
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Democratic Party of Idaho|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|County Commissioner District 4
|Ken Cornell
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Democratic Party of Idaho|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|County Commissioner District 5
|[[Charles S. Chestnut IV|Chuck Chestnut IV]] (Vice Chairman)
|[[Democratic Party of Idaho|Democratic]]
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:10px&quot;"
! colspan="4" |Alachua County School Board
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" |District
! style="text-align:center;" |Office holder
! valign="bottom" |Party
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|District 1
|Tina Certain
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Florida Democratic Party|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|District 2
|Diyonne McGraw
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Florida Democratic Party|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|District 3
|Sarah Rockwell
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Florida Democratic Party|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|District 4
|Leanetta McNealy
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Florida Democratic Party|Democratic]]
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
|District 5
|Kay Abbitt
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Republican Party of Florida|Republican]]
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:10px&quot;"
! colspan="4" |Alachua County Soil & Water Conservation District
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:bottom;" |Group
! style="text-align:center;" |Office holder
! valign="bottom" |Party
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|Group 1
|Jancie Vinson (chairwoman)
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Florida Democratic Party|Democratic]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|Group 2
|Archie Matthews
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Florida Democratic Party|Democratic]]
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
|Group 3
|Walt Boyer
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Republican Party of Florida|Republican]]
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
|Group 4
|Patrick Sell
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Republican Party of Florida|Republican]]
|-
| style="background-color:{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}" |&nbsp;
|Group 5
|Patricia Lee
| style="text-align:center;" |[[Florida Democratic Party|Democratic]]
|}

=== Law enforcement ===
<!-- "Alachua County Sheriff's Office" redirects here. -->
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office is the chief [[law enforcement agency]] for unincorporated areas of Alachua County. {{As of|2025}}, the current sheriff is Chad D. Scott, a Democrat who won the General election in November of 2024.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Serret |first1=Vivian |title=Democrat Chad Scott narrowly wins sheriff race |url=https://www.alligator.org/article/2024/11/democrat-chad-scott-narrowly-wins-sheriff-race |website=alligator.org |access-date=April 2, 2025}}</ref>

In June 2007, ten employees in the sheriff's office, including the jail's director, were either fired or resigned while being investigated.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gainesville.com/article/20070603/LOCAL/706030318%26SearchID%3D7328451628157 |title=The Gainesville Sun, June 03, 2007 - At agency, 10 ousters since sheriff took job |access-date=December 24, 2021 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215626/http://www.gainesville.com/article/20070603/LOCAL/706030318%26SearchID%3D7328451628157 }}</ref>

{{As of|2015}} the sheriff's office had at least one [[Lenco BearCat]] armored vehicle and two [[helicopters]] provided by the federal government under various programs. The office received criticism after the BearCat was used in a routine traffic stop.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sarkissian|first1=Arek|title=ASO deputies disciplined following traffic stop by armored vehicle|url=http://www.gainesville.com/article/20150522/ARTICLES/150529896?p=1&tc=pg|access-date=May 30, 2015|publisher=Gainesville Sun|date=May 22, 2015|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072835/http://www.gainesville.com/article/20150522/ARTICLES/150529896?p=1&tc=pg}}</ref>

On August 9, 2021, a prison inmate, Erica Thompson, gave birth while being held in Alachua County Jail. Her baby died. Despite the mother's screams, jail staff did not provide or call for medical assistance. An investigation held that law enforcement did not violate any law or policy.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Swirko |first1=Cindy |title=A baby born in Alachua County Jail died. The mother said jail staff ignored her screams |url=https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2021/08/11/florida-woman-gives-birth-alachua-county-jail-baby-dies-hospital-uf-health-shands-erica-thompson/5567023001/ |access-date=December 21, 2021 |publisher=Gainesville Sun |date=August 11, 2021}}</ref>