Republican withdraws from County Commission primary

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – Republican Brandon Kutner has withdrawn from the District 3 Alachua County Commission primary, citing “a larger fight at stake.” Kutner and Jenn Garrett were slated to face each other in the August Republican primary; the winner would then face incumbent Democrat Anna Prizzia in the General Election. Garrett will now be unopposed as the Republican nominee for the seat unless another candidate files for the race before the June 14 deadline.

According to the most recent reports, Garrett has outraised Kutner, $47.9k to $16.2k.

Yesterday Kutner sent out the following email:

I’ve made the decision to step back from the race for Alachua County Commission because there’s a larger fight at stake: preserving the essence of representative government in our county.

Currently, there is a strong effort to replace single-member districts with an at-large voting model. It’s nothing more than a blatant power grab by some Democrats on the Commission who would benefit from a system that does not prioritize accountability.

If we’re going to stand up against this, Republicans need to stop the infighting.

I’m willing to lead by example and put the cause of protecting single-member districts ahead of my personal desire to serve on the County Commission. The stakes are high, but together, we can ensure that the voice of every citizen in Alachua County is heard and respected.

I’d like to thank my family, friends, volunteers, donors, and supporters for your constant encouragement throughout the campaign. As we move forward, I encourage all of you to continue the good work we’ve started together. Please remember to stay engaged and, most importantly, remember to vote!

Sincerely,
Brandon Kutner

Kutner declined to provide any additional comment to Alachua Chronicle, referring us to the email above and his campaign’s Facebook page .

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