- Gen Z candidates Ronald J. Cobb II and Jonathan J. Franklin won seats on Hawthorne's City Commission with 75% and 62% of votes respectively.
- New commissioners will be sworn in on June 16 for three-year terms; Mayor Jacquelyn Randall is stepping down to run for Florida House District 21.
Gen Z swept Hawthorne’s election on Tuesday with victories for City Commission candidates Ronald J. Cobb II and Jonathan J. Franklin.
Franklin, 28, defeated incumbent Tommie Howard Jr. for Seat 1 with 62% of the votes. Cobb, 24, secured 75% of the votes over challenger Silvia Ardley. Seat 5 was also up for election, but sitting commissioner Raymond Cue ran unopposed for another term.
The new commissioners will be sworn onto the dais during the June 16 meeting for three-year terms.
According to LinkedIn, Franklin is a graduate of Eastside High School, Santa Fe College and works as a realtor and notary signing agent. He intends to prioritize public safety, economic growth, transparency and accountability and neighborhood improvements.
Cobb is also an Eastside High School, Santa Fe College and University of Florida graduate. The Pepine Realty agent launched his first business in high school and operates his own marketing agency.
Current Mayor Jacquelyn Randall, and holder of Seat 3, is stepping down to campaign for the Florida House District 21 seat, potentially replacing current state Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson in August.
“Thank you to all the candidates that had the courage to step up to serve our community,” Randall posted to Facebook. “Congratulations Ronald and Jonathan on securing a seat on the council and Raymond for running unopposed!”