Harvey Budd and Charles Goston Sr., who won their races for the Gainesville City Commission in April, haven’t even been sworn in yet and already someone new has filed to run for a seat in next year’s election.
Jon Uman, a Democrat and local lawyer who lost his bid for Florida House District 21 to incumbent Republican state Rep. Keith Perry in November, already has filed to run for the District 4 seat on the City Commission. That position presently is held by Commissioner Randy Wells, who is in the midst of his second consecutive three-year term and isn’t eligible to run again for that seat in 2016.
Uman announced his intention to run for the District 4 seat on May 5 — less than a month after the results rolled in for the city’s April runoff election.
“I am now ready to fight once again for our environment, for our hard working, middle class families, and for equality for everyone!!!” Uman wrote in an email to local voters.
“I am ready to provide a new persepctive to our local government!” he continued. “Gainesville needs a strong, unified voice!”
Uman also stated he is ready to draw upon his professional experience as a business-owner and lawyer to discover and implement solutions to the city’s utility crisis now, not later, and is prepared to work on building local coalitions that are going to be taken seriously up in the state’s capital.
“Join me and together let’s make a lasting investment into the future of our city,” he wrote toward the end of the email.