Brevard County commission candidate David Neuman withdraws to run for Melbourne council
Republican David Neuman has withdrawn his candidacy for a seat on the county commission to instead run for Melbourne city council. The surprise announcement came just over two months after he filed paperwork to run for the District 5 seat. Neumann, who previously ran an unsuccessful campaign for Melbourne city council in 2020, cited a desire to tackle issues like infrastructure, homelessness, the lagoon and child abuse prevention, which he said he felt he could more directly address at the city level.
At the county level, Neuman had an uphill battle in facing current Florida House Representative Thad Altman in a Republican primary. Altman has a long career in Brevard County politics, serving once already on the Brevard County Commission as well as in the Florida Senate and two separate stints in the Florida House.
Neuman, by contrast, is a political newcomer and has not yet held office. He currently works as the chief philanthropy officer with 321 Fundraising, a company that assists nonprofits in reaching their fundraising goals.
Neuman holds a bachelor's degree in political science and communications from Florida State University and a master's degree in political management from George Washington University. He has worked as the city clerk in Oak Forest, Illinois. He is currently the president of the Space Coast Young Republicans and the chairman of the Florida Young Republicans, a state-wide organization.
More: Rip currents, drownings prompt question: Are more lifeguards needed on Brevard beaches?
More: Brevard school board selects 11 semifinalists for superintendent role
By leaving the county commission race, Neuman is now poised to run for the District 3 Melbourne city council seat being left vacant by Yvonne Minus, who is out next year due to term limits. Neumann lost to Minus in the 2020 election, but now he has the backing of Mayor Paul Alfrey.
Although Neuman filed for County Commission as a Republican, city-level races are non-partisan.
"My main motivator is to do the best work that I can for the community. It's a natural fit and a good way to get started," Neuman said. He added that he didn't feel he jumped the gun on filing for County Commission and that his priorities simply changed as he evaluated the situation.
"I was going through the process and there's going to be a gubernatorial appointment for the open seat. I was talking to people close to me and ultimately I wanted to put myself in a position where I could do the most good," he said. By filing early, Neuman also has already raised $5,000 for his campaign. Coming from a non-profit background, he believes he can bridge the gap between the public sector and non-profits to better serve the Melbourne community.
"I'm trying to bring that community focus to the government level. Sometimes there's a disconnect between non-profits and government. I could bridge that gap so that both sectors could do the most good on issues like homelessness, the lagoon as well child abuse and human trafficking," he said.
Tyler Vazquez is the North Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-917-7491 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @tyler_vazquez
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Republican commission candidate withdraws to run for Melbourne council
