Harvey Ward
For Gainesville Mayor
Harvey Ward has called Gainesville home his entire life — born at Alachua General Hospital, raised in east Gainesville, educated in Alachua County public schools, and shaped by decades of civic and community service. As your Mayor, he has delivered for working families even when state and federal obstacles stood in the way. On August 18th, he is asking for your vote to continue the work you began together.
A Gainesville Story
Mayor Ward grew up in east Gainesville and did not live west of Waldo Road until after college. He attended Howard Bishop Middle School, Eastside High School, and Santa Fe College before earning his degree from the University of Florida. His connection to this community is not a campaign narrative — it is the story of his life. His three daughters, Resli, Lela, and Kennedy, attend Alachua County Public Schools, as he once did.
Values
Trust. Mayor Ward believes effective city government is built on mutual trust between residents and their elected officials — trust that is earned through consistent presence, genuine listening, and reliable follow-through.
Accessibility. He has met with hundreds of neighbors across every corner of Gainesville: in churches and union halls, on front porches and city buses, in community centers and local businesses, and over Zoom. His door has always been open, and it will remain so.
Preparation. Mayor Ward approaches every item before the commission with careful study, reviewing thousands of pages of staff reports and community input. He believes that thoroughness is not optional — it is a fundamental obligation to the people he represents.
Humility. He considers it a privilege and an honor to serve, and remains humbled each time he enters City Hall. His seat on the dais is a public trust, and he has never treated it otherwise.
Resilience. When state government moved against the interests of Gainesville, and when federal dysfunction threatened essential services, Mayor Ward held his focus — delivering lower crime, safer streets, affordable housing, clinics, roads, and parks for the residents who depend on them.
A Career Built on Community
Prior to his service in elected office, Mayor Ward devoted his professional career to strengthening Gainesville’s nonprofit community. He spent nearly a decade in development at WUFT TV and FM on the University of Florida campus, and subsequently managed the foundation at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. It was at WUFT that he met his wife, Gillian, who came in as a pledge drive volunteer. They have been building their life in Gainesville together ever since.
A Record of Showing Up
First elected to the Gainesville City Commission in 2017, re-elected in 2020, and elected Mayor in 2022, Harvey Ward has spent years earning the trust of his constituents — reading the briefings, meeting neighbors where they are, and never losing sight of the fact that his position is a public trust, not a personal platform.
Re-Elect Harvey Ward on August 18th
Mayor Ward is seeking one final term to continue delivering for the working families of Gainesville. He offers his word that his door will remain open, and that the people’s business will remain his absolute priority.
