Alachua County residents will only decide two Board of County Commission (BOCC) seats in November after Commissioner Chuck Chestnut, District 5, ran unopposed.    

Incumbent Mary Alford will run against DeJeon Cain and Lizabeth Doebler for the District 1 seat, representing Archer and Micanopy along with unincorporated parts of south-central Alachua County.   

Incumbent Anna Prizzia will face against Jenn Garrett for the District 3 seat, representing half of Newberry and unincorporated areas just south of State Road 26.    

Both incumbents were first elected by citizens in 2020 for their first terms. Alford was subsequently reelected in 2022 after a resignation and governor-appointed replacement. 

All Alachua County voters selected Alford in 2020 and 2022 for her terms. This November, the county will vote with single-member districts, so only the residents in District 1 will vote for the commissioner from that district.     

The BOCC has also placed the single-member district issue back onto the ballot, opening the door to return to at-large elections for the county.   

Alford and Cain will be on the August ballot to contend for the Democratic nomination. The winner will run against Doebler, the lone Republican candidate, in November for the District 1 seat. 

We sent the same questions to both candidates. Answers have been posted as received, with only edits for clarity.  

Another post with the District 3 candidates has already been published.  

For more information about the election, visit the Supervisor of Elections website. For a map of the districts, click here.   

Mary Alford for District 1  

Age: 63  

Occupation: Licensed Professional Engineer, currently working full-time as County Commissioner  

Previous experience in elected office:  Elected in 2020 to the County Commission and reelected in 2022 to the County Commission (after resigning and running again when the building I rented was to be sold and I lost residency while my mother was in hospice care).  

Public service other than elected office: Currently serve on the National Association of Counties Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee, the National Association of Counties Healthy Counties Advisory Board, the Florida Association of Counties Health, Safety and Justice Committee, Regional Planning Council (secretary), Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization (former chair), Alachua County Library Governing Board, Career Source Board (chair), Joint Water and Climate Policy Board, Local Technology Planning Team, Public Safety Coordinating Council (and a few more).  

Volunteered on the following City and County Advisory Boards: City of Gainesville Utility Advisory Board (chair), Alachua County Environmental Protection Advisory Board (chair), Alachua County Code Enforcement Board, Old Florida Heritage Byway Advisory Board.  Served on the following non-profit boards: United Way of North Central Florida, New Horizons Board (housing for people with mental health diagnoses), US Green Building Council Heart of Florida Board (president), Florida Defenders of the Environment Governing Board. Additional volunteer work in the areas of affordable housing, education, trails.  

What prompted you to run for reelection? 

I work hard for Alachua County, and I’m achieving goals I set during my first campaign. We are budgeting $44M for roads next year—this is ten times the roads budget when I first considered running.  We instituted affordable housing programs to save money and lower energy costs.  We increased the resiliency of Alachua County through addressing climate disruption, helping save agricultural lands, and protecting water. But there is still work to be done, and I am qualified to do it. I feel that I am in the right place, doing the right thing, at the right time.  

What are the two most important issues facing the county commission? 

The role of a county commissioner is to manage taxpayer dollars to effectively ensure the health, safety and welfare of its citizens. In 2022 almost 20% of Alachua County residents had serious housing issues—being homeless, living in houses they could not afford, living in houses what were substandard, living with friends or relatives, living in cars. We continue to have a serious shortage of workforce and affordable housing and that affects everything from child literacy to public safety. Literacy is the second biggest problem in our county and contributes to truancy, underemployment, crime, homelessness, poor health, etc.  

Do you support or oppose single-member districts for Alachua County? Why?  

I believe the voters should decide, and decide without interference. In the weeks before the last election, mailers were sent out that misrepresented the views of influential people in Alachua County. This may have affected the decisions of many voters.  The voters should have another chance to decide after receiving clear information from the people and organizations that matter to them.   

Secondly, there is an advantage to voting for county commission members in every election. With at-large voting, I get to help decide county leadership every two years and vote for five different people rather than just voting for one person every four years. But I do understand that some people want “their own commissioner.” I try hard to represent the needs of my district—whether advocating for the four-laning of Archer Road or fighting a Dollar General. And I see other commissioners working to represent their districts as well. I don’t think that would change with at-large voting.    

What do you hope to accomplish as part of the county commission? 

My initial platform has not changed—I will continue to fight for the basic services that a county should provide: well-maintained roads, fire protection, public safety and an effective and efficient jail, organized emergency management, parks and recreation, public health—and manage all of these things in a fiscally responsible manner.  

It is important to plan for resiliency in the face of an increasingly unpredictable future. It is also important for Alachua County residents to have the opportunity to live prosperous, happy and safe lives. Most of the work the county commission does involves things that I have some experience with: engineering, budgets, building, public safety, health, environmental regulation. Much of that work is not very exciting but it is technical, and it is what I enjoy and what I am good at doing. I want to continue to take care of the place I call home.  

What votes from the current county commission have you disagreed with, if any, and why?  

The meat processing facility: After much research, I supported this project. It would have helped small local farmers and ranchers, who often auction off cattle at a loss due to a lack of local processing options. Auctioned cattle are typically sent to feedlots where they live in awful conditions until slaughter, so I believed a small local slaughterhouse would be operated more humanely. 

My father had been a small farmer that kept cows, and I saw what he experienced. I was disappointed that the commission voted it down.   

The Ability Housing project was an income limited development in East Gainesville that would have brought high quality workforce housing and ultimately raised the average income in the area which could have attracted better economic development. However, some of the community did not agree, and the commission voted it down, losing a $25M project funded with a lucrative state grant.  

Anything else you’d like to tell voters?  

If you would like to contact me about any issue about Alachua County, my email address is malford@alachuacounty.us and my cell phone number is 352-810-1731 (text first, if you can).   

If you would like to contact me about my campaign, email me at votemaryalford@gmail.com or call me at 352-317-4480.  I try hard to be accessible and I am open to any reasonable request! I look forward to talking with you.  

DeJeon Cain for District 1 

Website: Meet DeJeon Cain 

Cain did not respond to Mainstreet’s questionnaire.  

Lizabeth Doebler  

Age: A little older than my teeth 

Occupation:  Registered medical professional 

Website: https://voteliz2024.com/  

Previous experience in elected office: None 

Public service other than elected office: Senior President of CAR for 19 years (teaching children about patriotism, history and love of country); helped fundraise for Kids helping Kids, Shriner’s Hospital, The Gary Sinise Foundation and Haile Plantations Kitchen rebuild 

What prompted you to run for election?  

I think that I could do a better job for the residents and businesses of District 1. That is as simple and as truthful an answer as I can give you. 

What are the two most important issues facing the county commission?      

Very unhappy with the commission and how they are spending our tax dollars. Spending over $6.4 million dollars on West End golf course making it into a nature walk was one. This item should have gone to the public for a vote. Not to mention the amount of money is ridiculous, especially with the amount of debt Alachua County already has.    

Do you support or oppose single-member districts for Alachua County? Why?  

Single-member districts are VERY important. Without single-member districts you have absolutely no one to stand up for the area you live in. Each area is different. Each district should be represented and have a say in where their tax dollars are used. 

What do you hope to accomplish as part of the county commission?  

I know from speaking to several residents that taxes are too high, road conditions are dreadful, and they are concerned about our water supply and our property rights. I sincerely would like to address these issues and help correct them.  

What votes from the current county commission have you disagreed with, if any, and why?    

As previously stated, the tax money spent on West End Golf Course. There was some discussion at one of the meetings about one of the lakes in Ken Cornell’s district, I believe. I agree about run off. However, I want to know how this would affect our farmers in that area. No vote should be taken until we hear from our farmers.   

Anything else you’d like to tell voters?  

I am not going to TELL the people in District 1 what I’m going to do. I want THEM to tell me what THEY would like me to do and hopefully accomplish. You can tell me at VoteLiz2024.com. Please let me know.