On the first day of early voting in Alachua County, a UF alumnus running for U.S. Congress led a march to the polls.
Democrat Kenneth “Ken” McGurn, who is running for a seat in Florida’s 3rd Congressional District, and about a dozen of his supporters walked from McGurn’s campaign office to the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office, where they cast their votes.
For McGurn, who is facing Republican incumbent Ted Yoho and unaffiliated candidate Tom Wells, the march was about getting the word out about early voting, which lasts until Nov. 6.
“If you vote early, you won’t forget to vote,” he said. “If you vote early, you won’t have to stand in a long line.”
District 3 encompasses Alachua, Bradford, Clay, Putnam and Union counties, along with the upper half of Marion County.
A newcomer to the political arena, McGurn said his platform centers on creating jobs, implementing solar energy and taking care of the district’s veterans. On the solar front, he said he plans to create thousands of new jobs in the industry.
“We’re going to make this the solar capital of the south,” McGurn said.
Sarah Barnes, the communications director for McGurn’s campaign, said McGurn’s experience as a Vietnam War veteran and his revitalization of downtown Gainesville through property development molded him into an ideal leader.
“I’ve always known of Ken as a philanthropist in Gainesville, and I think it’s very bold and needed for him to run for Congress,” Barnes said.
“Some of the veterans are not receiving the care that they earn, and that affects me personally,” McGurn said. “I don’t need it, but somebody needs to stand up for them.”
