With over 133,441 votes cast for Alachua County Sheriff, Democratic candidate Chad Scott holds a narrow lead of just 395 votes over Republican candidate Emery Gainey as of Tuesday night.
Scott currently holds the majority vote at 46.96%, his opponent Gainey holds 46.67%. It’s the closest Alachua County sheriff’s race in recent history.
Aaron Klein, the Director of Communications for Alachua County’s Supervisor of Elections, said the race is too close of a margin to be fully counted today. Mail-in ballots haven’t even finished counting, he said.
The non-partisan candidate, Pamela Marshall-Koons, only holds about 6% of the vote.
Scott previously stated that three of his top priorities if elected would be to restaff the agency, focus on tackling violent crime and emphasize school safety. As Alachua County Sheriff, Scott said he would address gun violence, addiction and work to expand services for domestic violence victims.
Speaking at a campaign event, Scott claimed victory for himself.
“We put in a lot of hard work,” he said, “and because of it, we won.”
Scott noted that, in elections, you only need one point to win, comparing it to sports.
Speaking on the race’s closeness, Scott said, “that’s what happens when you’re in competition.”
Emery Gainey, who served as Alachua County Sheriff for the past year after previous Sheriff Clovis Watson stepped down, was previously appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and sought to continue his work in Alachua County through the election.
He is one of the few Republicans to have been Alachua County Sheriff, which has historically gone to Democrats.
“There most likely will be a recount,” Gainey said. “But we will abide by whatever that decision is.”
Gainey said there’s a democratic process that takes place, but cannot comment on when election results may be out.
Pamela Marshall-Koons is the executive director of the WELLness Network, a holistic health non-profit organization. She ran as the non-partisan candidate and has no prior law enforcement experience.
Avery Parker contributed to this report
Contact Vivienne Serret at vserret@alligator.org. Follow her on X @vivienneserret.
Vivienne Serret is a UF journalism and criminology senior, serving as the Fall 2024 race and equity reporter for The Alligator's Enterprise desk. She previously worked as a columnist and previously reported for The Alligator's university desk as the student government reporter. She loves karaoke and lifting at the gym.
