2016 Gainesville mayoral election

2016 Gainesville mayoral election

←  2013 March 15, 2016 2019  →

Candidate Lauren Poe Ed Braddy Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Popular vote 16,384 11,331 Percentage 57.05% 39.46%

Precinct results Poe:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80% Brady:     50–60%     >90% No votes:

Mayor before election Ed Braddy Nonpartisan Elected Mayor Lauren Poe Nonpartisan

The 2016 Gainesville, Florida mayoral election took place on March 15, 2016. Incumbent Mayor Ed Braddy ran for re-election to a second term. He was challenged by former City Commissioner Lauren Poe, a professor at Santa Fe College. Though the race was officially nonpartisan, Poe, a Democrat, received support from the Florida Democratic Party and benefited from high turnout in the presidential primary, while Braddy, a Republican, avoided partisan labels. ^[1] Poe ultimately defeated Braddy in a landslide, receiving 57 percent of the vote to Braddy's 39 percent. ^[2]

Primary election

Candidates

• Lauren Poe, former City Commissioner, professor at Santa Fe College ^[3]
• Ed Braddy, incumbent Mayor ^[4]
• Donald Shepherd Sr., former University of Florida groundskeeper, 2013 candidate for Mayor ^[5]

Results

Primary election results ^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nonpartisan	Lauren Poe	16,384	57.05%
	Nonpartisan	Ed Braddy (inc.)	11,331	39.46%
	Nonpartisan	Donald Shepherd Sr.	1,002	3.49%
Total votes			28,717	100.00%

References

1. Warren, April (March 17, 2016). "Analysis: Poe wins city's heart, Braddy takes east". The Gainesville Sun . Gainesville, Florida . Retrieved July 16, 2025.
2. Hsieh, Cresonia; Byrne, Stephanie; Phillips, Ariella; Beard, Kiara; Kabiru, Cindy (March 16, 2016). "Poe Defeats Braddy In Gainesville Mayoral Race". WUFT-FM . Gainesville, Florida . Retrieved July 16, 2025.
3. Watkins, Morgan (July 1, 2015). "Former City Commissioner Lauren Poe running for mayor". The Gainesville Sun . Gainesville, Florida . Retrieved July 16, 2025.
4. Warren, April (February 27, 2016). "Braddy to voters: Focus on my accomplishments". The Gainesville Sun . Gainesville, Florida . Retrieved July 16, 2025.
5. Tinker, Cleveland (March 1, 2016). "Incumbent Braddy faces Poe, Shepherd in mayoral race". The Gainesville Sun . Gainesville, Florida . Retrieved July 16, 2025.
6. "Election Summary Report - OFFICIAL RESULTS - Presidential Preference Primary Election - March 15, 2016 - Alachua County, FL" (PDF). Alachua County Supervisor of Elections. 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2025.