In a search for redemption, former UF Student Body President Ben Meyers is taking to the Gainesville political circuit once again.
In July, Meyers, 24, filed to run as a Democratic candidate for the Gainesville City Commission’s March election.
His resignation as UF’s Student Body president three years ago was littered with rumors of under-the-table deals.
Meyers cited personal reasons when he resigned in October 2011, but further reports from a 92-page thesis by former UF graduate student Dave Bradshaw revealed more may have been at play.
The report details Greek groups and select student organizations allegedly predetermining the upcoming year’s senior Student Government positions in a rendezvous location Meyers was quoted calling “The Room.”
Meyers said he now regrets speaking to Bradshaw and that some of his comments were taken out of context.
“There’s no scandal there or juicy gossip story,” Meyers said.
He said his comments in the report were accurate, but he resigned because he fell below the SG-required 12-credit minimum.
“There are things in Student Government that people do, and it’s a way of learning and growing as an individual,” he said.
Current UF Student Body President Cory Yeffet said SG won’t be endorsing Meyers’ campaign because it does not endorse political candidates.
Moving forward, Meyers said he doesn’t expect his SG past to avert voters. His campaign will focus on jobs, public safety and streamlining government.
“Because of what I’ve been doing to improve our community, people can know that that’s not the way I operate,” Meyers said.
He’s maintained his presence in Gainesville as an at-large member of the Democratic Executive Committee of Alachua County and the city’s Board of Adjustment.
Michael Christ, a 21-year-old UF political science graduate student and the SG Senate minority leader, said corruption within student government is a known fact among its members, and he expects it will play a role in Meyers’ campaign.
“People are complicated,” Christ said. “I don’t think it’s a black and white, good and evil thing. People will do pretty much whatever they have to do to get where they want on Student Government.”
Christ was involved in three SG campaign cycles since 2012 and said he questions Meyers’ switch to the Democratic Party after being well-known as a conservative Republican at UF.
Meyers said his party-switch reflects a return to his family’s Democratic affiliation, which he strayed from while in college. He said he intends to leave ideology out of his campaign.
“I think that when you look at local issues, there’s really no room for ideology,” Meyers said. “It’s really looking at what’s best on a case-by-case basis.”
Jenna Goldman, a 21-year-old UF political science and history senior, said Meyers’ change in party, youth and transient ties to Gainesville make it difficult to trust his candidacy.
“I firmly believe we should have a voice on the City Commission because students make up such a large part of the Gainesville community,” Goldman, a former Students Party president, said. “At the same time, I’m not going to vote for just any old student, especially one with the record that he has.”
But Meyers insists he has a “deep appreciation for the community” where his family has lived for generations.
“Gainesville feels like home,” the Miami native said.
Still, only 1.4 percent of his campaign contributions have come from Gainesville, with nearly all the rest originating from South Florida, according to voterfocus.com.
“We just don’t know if he’s right for the position,” Goldman said. “What makes us trust him again?”
Former UF Student Body Presidents Tj Villamil, now the special assistant to UF President Bernie Machen, declined to comment, and Christina Bonarrigo could not be reached for comment.
[A version of this story ran on page 3 on 9/15/2014 under the headline "Former UF Student Body President running for City Commission"]
Then Student Body President Ben Meyers announced that he would be resigning from his position for personal reasons in October 2011.
