It’s not often that a 22-year-old law student decides to run for public office and actually wins. But Bryan Griffin defied the odds Tuesday night.
Griffin was elected to the Alachua County Soil and Water Conservation District, which is responsible for implementing strategies to preserving resources in the county.
Griffin received 32,166 votes, or 63 percent while his opponent, Santa Fe College student Brian Bunch, received 18,484 votes, 36 percent.
He said he raised $1,300 through the support of people who believed in his abilities and vision.
Griffin said his goals are to keep regulations minimal while using local innovation to provide comprehensive solutions to encourage best-use soil and water practices.
Griffin, former chairman of UF College Republicans, said he has always had a desire to positively affect his community and improve the lives of his fellow citizens.
“The fact that I won shows that people want to use citizen-based bottom-up innovation to tackle local conservation issues,” Griffin said. “It’s a local cooperative solution as opposed to a large government solution.”
Griffin’s long-term goal is to be a responsible member of the board and serve the community to the best of his ability.
“This victory has humbled me, and it’s an honor to be elected by the citizens to serve in this capacity,” Griffin said.
When asked about future plans in politics, Griffin said in 10 years he would like to run for state legislature.
“The legislature can have the largest impact on the quality of a citizen’s life because it deals with enacting or sometimes simplifying laws and regulations,” he said.
