The 2022 Gainesville, Florida mayoral election took place on November 8, 2022, following a primary election on August 23, 2022. Incumbent Mayor Lauren Poe was term-limited and could not seek a third consecutive term. A crowded field emerged to succeed him. City Commissioner Harvey Ward and Ed Bielarski, the former general manager of the Gainesville Regional Utilities, placed first and second in the primary election with 28 and 26 percent, respectively. In the general election, Ward defeated Bielarski in a landslide, winning 58 percent of the vote to Bielarski's 42 percent.
Following an amendment to the city charter, this was the first election to take place on a consolidated schedule with statewide elections and Ward was the first Mayor elected to a four-year term.
Primary election Candidates Harvey Ward, City Commissioner Ed Bielarski, former Gainesville Regional Utilities general manager David Arreola, City Commissioner Gary Gordon, former Mayor July Thomas, University of Florida astrophysics graduate student Ansaun J. Fisher, owner of the Florida Allstars basketball team Gabriel Hillel, disbarred civil rights attorney Donald E. Shepherd Sr., perennial candidate, former University of Florida groundskeeper Adam Rosenthal, tech worker
Results
Runoff election Results
References