Gainesville voters will decide today whether Mayor Craig Lowe, the city’s first openly gay mayor, will serve a second term in office.
Lowe is in a runoff with former City Commissioner Ed Braddy. The two men are polar political opposites. Braddy has a record of opposing pro-LGBT measures. According to Equality Flordia, during his tenure as a City Commissioner, Braddy voted against the creation of a citywide domestic partnership registry and the inclusion of gender identity and expression in the city nondiscrimination law. He led the failed attempt in 2009 to repeal nondiscrimination protections for Gainesville’s LGBT community.
Supervisor of Elections Pam Carpenter said early voting and absentee ballot numbers should put turnout close to the initial mayoral election in March. Polls close at 7 p.m.
