Readers comment on voting in the primary, candidates for office and more

Declare party affiliation

Everyone can vote in the primaries even though Florida is a closed primary state. Registered independents simply must change party affiliation 29 days before the next election. If you aren’t comfortable aligning yourself with a party, you can change back to independent right after voting day.

Like many, I registered no party affiliation when I moved to Florida. It took several election cycles before I decided there was a primary that felt important enough to register with a party. Every election season, I consider the candidates and register with whichever party has the primary that feels the most consequential to me. Yes, it takes more effort, but so much is at stake, especially in these polarized times.

The deadline to register or update your status to vote in the 2022 primary is July 25. Go to RegistertoVoteFlorida.gov to change your party affiliation and to votealachua.com for more Alachua County elections information.

If you think your vote doesn’t matter, consider these statistics. Only 28% of registered voters chose the candidates in the 2020 primaries. That was record turnout. We can do better. Ron DeSantis won the governorship with a margin of less than 32,500 votes, or about 0.4%. Please vote!

Hilda Brown, Gainesville 

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Seeking ways to lose

Why do Democrats keep shooting themselves in the foot? Several years ago, the Democrats were putting up a candidate to oppose Charlie Crist (then a Republican). We had a young outstanding candidate in former state attorney Rod Smith. Instead, the voters chose an obscure congressman from Hillsborough County. He lost and a Republican became governor. Even some of Crist’s advisors told him that had the Democrats nominated Smith, he likely would have lost.

Then, four years ago, Gwen Graham offered to serve as governor, but the Democratic Party nominated Andrew Gillum, whose record while mayor of Tallahassee has caused him to be indicted. Ron DeSantis is now our governor.

Today we have two candidates running for the Democratic nomination for governor. One is a former governor who was defeated out of office and lost an attempt for the U.S. Senate. The other is the last Democrat to win a statewide office. She’s young, she’s exciting, she’s energetic — everything Crist is not — and yet the polls show that Crist is ahead.

I don’t know why Democratic voters keep seeking ways to lose. I hope we wise up before the primary and select Nikki Fried, the candidate who has the best chance of winning the general election.

Howard M. Rosenblatt, Gainesville

A leader who listens

There are a lot of people in the Gainesville mayor’s race. Living in Gainesville since 1973, the one person I can support is Gary Gordon. Why? When Gary was mayor, he actually listened to all sides and tried his best to understand what the citizens of Gainesville wanted and would implement those policies.

Today, our political leaders, especially the mayor and Commissioner David Arreola, act like they know what is best for us and don’t even pretend to listen to the citizens.

The prevailing idea of the people living in Gainesville in the 20th century was that we do not want to be like Orlando, South Florida or Atlanta, which have fallen victim to international investment companies.

Who I cannot support is anyone who voted for and continues to support the biomass plant. The biomass plants operation was based on lies, but the biggest lie easily disproven is that it is economically feasible. Howard Odum, the great ecologist professor at the University of Florida, developed a mathematical model that absolutely shows there is no net positive energy resulting from the biomass plant.

Tom Lane, Gainesville 

True expertise

The key issues in the midterm congressional races are the economy, climate change, health care and human rights. Everything else is a diversion. There is no one better than Dr. Tom Wells to take on these issues, especially climate change. With his PhD in physics from the University of Maryland, there is no better candidate in the USA to tackle it.

The key lies in how to do this expensive project so that is a plus not a drain on the economy. Would you rather have true expertise within Congress or rely on external consultants who may be conflicted?

Two examples where Dr. Wells can be invaluable to Floridians are 1) How can the U.S. develop desalination on our coastlines, as the Israelis have? and 2) How can the U.S. reverse erosion and rising sea levels that threaten major cities? District 3 needs Dr. Wells in Congress.

Jonathan J. Shuster, Gainesville 

Central campaign issue

Given the recent repeal of Roe v. Wade and Florida’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks, the need for representation that works toward protecting the rights of women has never been more apparent. This goal has been central to Danielle Hawk’s congressional campaign from its beginning, and voters in Florida’s 3rd Congressional District should consider supporting her as a means of reversing the harrowing trends we are facing.

She is deeply dedicated to reestablishing protections for abortion access by enacting the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would codify Roe vs. Wade. Moreover, her interest in protecting women’s rights extends beyond the issue of abortion. Her platform includes establishing funding for free access to menstrual products, affordable women’s healthcare, OBGYN access, cancer screenings, and prenatal and postnatal care.

In contrast, Hawk’s likely opponent, current Rep. Kat Cammack, has celebrated the ongoing disintegration of women’s rights and has done nothing to support affordable and accessible health care for women. For this reason, I urge 3rd Congressional District voters to find out more about Danielle Hawk and consider giving her their support. Information on her policies can be found at her website, www.daniellehawk.com.

Jessica Whelpley, Gainesville

Focus on border

Of all the crises the Biden administration is unable to intelligently address and come close to solving, the loss of life at the southern border is the one causing more and more American citizens heartburn and heartache.

Fifty-three migrant getaways died of asphyxiation in the back of a trailer near San Antonio, Texas, recently. Then the Supreme Court gave Biden a green light to end the "remain in Mexico” doctrine. But Kat Cammack, our trusted U.S. representative at the border, said this recently, “To our colleagues on the left, if you care about the kids the way you claim you care about the kids, you would be here.”

She wants our president to stop doing the job for the cartels as “trafficker-in-chief.” Amen to that. Homeland Security Department Secretary Alejandro Mayorca will be the first to be impeached after the November debacle for the Democratic Party.

Tom Cunilio, Lake City

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This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Letters on primary voting in Florida, Alachua County candidates, more