With cheers echoing the walls of the Stonehouse Neighborhood Grill in Newberry, Florida, Chad Johnson celebrated his Florida House Seat District 22 win with his closest friends, family and campaign workers.
While he lost in Alachua County to opponent David Arreola, Johnson won in both Levy and Gilchrist County — gaining 77.42% of the vote in Levy and 86.45% of the vote in Gilchrist County.
As an Alachua native and previous Levy County Commissioner of six years, Johnson has ties to all three counties part of District 22 — Alachua, Gilchrist and Levy County.
In his campaign, he focused on agriculture and big-ticket items like inflation, insurance and immigration — what he calls the “three I’s.”
These “three I’s” are affecting everyone in Florida, Democrat or Republican, he said. This includes residents with less disposable income from inflation, a tax burden to make up for un-budgeted funds towards illegal immigrants and cost of insurance increasing.
“There’s so many different emotions — you’re excited because you won the victory, but then also the sudden realization that you have a major job as responsibility,” Johnson said, moments after winning. “It’s got weight, but right now, it’s just the thrill.”
To celebrate, Johnson plans on casting his line out on a fishing trip with some of his closest friends, but one of the things he looks forward to most is setting up his office to remind him of his roots, he said.
“Everybody talks about the deals you’re going to do, but you’re a freshman,” he said. “I look forward to having a picture of my dad and my grandfather in that office…I so wish there was a way that I could just hear my dad’s voice say ‘Hey state representative.’”
He looks forward to not only representing Gilchrist and Levy County, but also UF and Santa Fe College — both of which he is an alumnus of.
As of Nov. 1, Johnson raised a total of $277,512 for his campaign, almost $100,000 more than his opponent David Arreola, who raised $181,008 campaigning for women’s reproductive rights, property insurance and gun safety.
Arreola was elected as a Gainesville City Commissioner at 26, making him the youngest commissioner to date. He later ran for city mayor in 2022, but was eliminated in the primaries, only receiving 15.38% of the vote.
Shortly after losing to Johnson, Arreola said he congratulated him, but also gave him “a little nugget of advice.”
This advice included Arreola telling Johnson not to make Alachua County his enemy, as Johnson did with him during his campaign, he said.
“I basically told him that I believe that he can be successful without making Gainesville and Alachua County his enemy in this race,” he said. “His campaign made me the enemy, but he doesn’t have to do that to the whole community of Gainesville and Alachua.”
Arreola looks forward to spending much needed time with family after such a difficult election, and does not plan to run for any positions in the near future, he said.
The District 22 seat has been held by Republican predecessor Charles Wesley “Chuck” Clemons, Sr. since 2022, when the district was redrawn to include Gainesville. Previously, Clemons served three two-year terms for District 21. This year, he hit his term limit and can no longer run for reelection.
A Democrat hasn’t held the District 22 seat since the 2000 general election, when Clemens ran and lost to former Gainesville Mayor Perry C. McGriff Jr.
Along with his position as state representative, current seat holder Clemons Sr. also serves as the Speaker Pro Tempore of the Florida House of Representatives.
Johnson will take office at midnight the day of the General Election, according to Florida House Representative qualifications.
Contact Kairi Lowery at klowery@alligator.org. Follow her on X @kairiloweryy.
Kairi Lowery is a third-year journalism major and a metro general assignment reporter for The Alligator. When she's not writing you can find her lounging on the beach with a book or collecting vinyls.
