The qualifying period for Gainesville city elections ended Friday at noon, with 10 candidates earning a spot on the August ballot.  

But incumbent Commissioner Bryan Eastman ran unopposed and will roll straight into a second term without needing to appear on the ballot. 

Here’s how the candidates lined up for the other races. Mainstreet will release a full Meet the Candidates questionnaire later in the summer. 

Gainesville Mayor 

Incumbent Harvey Ward is seeking his second term after two terms as a city commissioner, and Evan Moon launched a campaign as well.  

The two-candidate race is a stark difference from the nine runners in 2022. 

District 2 

Commissioner Ed Book will step down after his first term, and three candidates have stepped up for the position.  

Former Gainesville Sun editor and reporter Nathan Crabbe announced his campaign in May. He worked at The Gainesville Sun for more than 17 years, including over a decade as an opinion writer and editor. Since leaving the paper, he’s worked as editor of The Invading Sea, a website that covers environmental issues.  

Nelida Pellot is also running and has worked in housing and community advocacy, according to her campaign website. She’s from South Florida and said she came to Gainesville after a fire destroyed her home. Now campaigning for the commission, her online statement said she aims to help others facing hardships. 

Wyatt Zintiz also filed to run for the seat. He’s a life-long Gainesville resident, Marine combat veteran and small-business owner of Gruntscaper LLC, a landscape company. He also worked for the city’s Public Works Department for five years.  

District 3 

Incumbent Casey Willits has two challengers for his seat.  

DeJeon Cain qualified to run and previously campaigned against Willits in 2022 for the seat. Cain lost by 375 votes in that election.  

James Gardner joined the pair. According to a press release, he’s a former U.S. Coast Guard service member and worked at the Gainesville/Ocala Marine Institute.