District 10
Florida House District 10 encompasses all of Union, Bradford, Columbia and Baker counties. It also includes the northern half of Alachua County, with a small portion of the northernmost neighborhoods outside of Gainesville enveloped as well.
Republican candidate Chuck Brannan is the incumbent for this race. He has served as District 10 representative for six years since his election in 2018 and his re-election in 2020. His 2022 election was canceled because there was no one who opposed him. Brannan earned a UF bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He is a retired law enforcement officer after serving with the U.S. Marshals and the Baker County Sheriff’s Office.
Democratic candidate Bobby Brady has not run for office before. He is a shiitake mushroom farmer who describes himself as a “conservative Democrat.” He cites protecting the Florida aquifer and regulating affordable insurance policies as some of his priorities, as well as supporting the passage of Amendment 4 and general abortion rights.
The Alligator sent a questionnaire to both candidates to allow them to speak about their policies in their own words. Neither responded.
District 22
District 22 includes Levy County, Gilchrist County and the southwestern portion of Alachua County, with a western section of Gainesville incorporated. The majority of UF campus is represented.
There is no incumbent candidate for this race, meaning a newcomer will earn the seat. Current District 22 Rep. Chuck Clemons has served since 2016. He can’t run again due to term limits.
Democratic candidate David Arreola was born in Gainesville and grew up there. He served two terms as Gainesville City Commissioner and then ran for mayor in 2022. After losing to the current mayor, Harvey Ward, Arreola continued to work for 21st Century Communications, which provides rural internet services. He has earned an associate’s degree from Santa Fe College, a bachelor’s degree from Flagler College and an MBA from St. Leo University.
Republican candidate Chad Johnson was born and raised in Alachua County. He has since moved to Levy County, where he served as Levy County Commissioner as a governor appointee in 2009 and then as an elected official from 2010 to 2014. He earned a UF bachelor’s degree in food and resource economics and became a professional auctioneer.
The Alligator sent a questionnaire to both candidates with the following questions to allow them to speak about their policies in their own words.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
David Arreola: Arreola did not respond to The Alligator’s questionnaire. His campaign website mentions his primary goals as mitigating Florida’s “affordability crisis,” reducing gun violence and restoring abortion access.
Chad Johnson: “I will continue to advocate for agriculture and work to conserve our wildlife corridor and preserve farms and ranches which create jobs and contribute to our nation’s food supply and billions of dollars to our state’s economy. We must continue to improve Florida’s education system, expanding CTE opportunities, building on the Financial Literacy Act, enhancing STEM curriculum, inspiring parental involvement and protecting parental choice. Our continued population growth is creating a strain on current infrastructures, energy grids, transportation, schools and natural resources. Florida and its representatives will need to be forward focused to build solutions today for tomorrow’s problems.”
Why are you running?
David Arreola: Arreola did not respond to the Alligator’s questionnaire. “For some, running for public office is a privilege afforded only to those who can pay for it,” he wrote on his campaign website. “For me, it's a duty and a calling that I do not take lightly. It requires sacrifice and a willingness to stand and fight for what is right amid so much hate, division, and political distraction.”
Chad Johnson: “I am the only candidate with family roots and ties to all three counties of District 22. I am the only candidate that has experience with fiscally constrained counties and the effects of unfunded mandates and blanket legislation. I have family, friends and business associates in all three counties of the district, with varying incomes, lifestyles and party affiliations. We did not enter because we have a personal political agenda, or desire for power, nor to lead District 22 where we think it needs to go, but to represent, so District 22 goes the direction its citizens want it to go.”
When it comes to regulating higher education in Florida, what is your approach?
David Arreola: Arreola did not respond to The Alligator’s questionnaire.
Chad Johnson: “A graduate of both Santa Fe and the University of Florida, I look forward to the opportunity to represent our local institutions. Regulation of higher education by the legislature is limited; Article IX, Section 7 of the Florida Constitution was amended in 2002 to establish a statewide system of governance for all Florida public universities. I will work to ensure that these institutions are properly funded, and we are preparing our graduates for their prospective careers. We must ensure we have a secure pipeline of educated and trained individuals to enter the workforce and continue to fuel our state’s economy.”
What would you do to reduce the cost of living in Florida?
David Arreola: Arreola did not respond to The Alligator’s questionnaire.
Chad Johnson: “Continuing the work on reducing costs associated with insurance coverage. We need to work to create a marketplace that attracts more insurance companies back into the market to increase competition and drive down rates. Reducing regulations to promote increased housing inventories and options to affordable housing and building on the state’s Live Local Act will help reduce the cost associated with housing. Refining government spending, providing tax relief for citizens and improving efficiencies in government operations will help reduce the cost of living in Florida.”
Do you support the current six-week abortion law? If not, what would you change?
David Arreola: Arreola did not respond to The Alligator’s questionnaire. He told Main Street Daily News that “we must roll back the legislature’s clearly draconian bans on abortion.”
Chad Johnson: “I believe the discussion is at what point we are comfortable with ending the life of an unborn child. Pro-life should go beyond the 40 weeks of pregnancy. The best solution to reducing abortion numbers is reducing the number of unplanned pregnancies, which entails more education and better access to women’s healthcare, including increased availability of contraceptives and ECP (morning after pill). Next is genuine support (social and financial) for pregnant women, single moms, young or struggling families and a simpler, affordable path to adoption. I will challenge society, government, religious institutions, communities and individuals to improve support for mothers who choose life.”
If recreational marijuana is legalized via Amendment 3, how would you regulate it?
David Arreola: Arreola did not respond to The Alligator’s questionnaire.
Chad Johnson: “As an amendment to the constitution, there are only so many things the legislature can do to regulate the amendment to the constitution. I have no issue with medical marijuana and limited issue with private personal recreational marijuana, but I do not like this amendment and will not personally be voting to support it. I think we would be better served to establish rules and regulations for recreational marijuana through the legislature under our representative republic government as opposed to an amendment, which is more challenging to change, regulate and/or offset unintended consequences associated with the amendment.”
What, in your view, is the most critical issue your district is currently facing?
David Arreola: Arreola did not respond to The Alligator’s questionnaire.
Chad Johnson: “Statewide the most critical issues are inflation, insurance and immigration. For District 22, growth is definitely a critical issue. Alachua, Gilchrist and Levy Counties jointly can anticipate growth of more than 60,000 in the next 15 years, which is almost the current population of Gilchrist and Levy combined. Ensuring we can sustain our infrastructure through smart growth that does not negatively impact our social, economic and environmental balance is vital.”
The Alligator Editorial Board put together the candidates' answers in this article. You can reach them at editor@alligator.org.
