What follows is a list of candidates that your Central Labor Council of North Central Florida has endorsed thus far this election cycle. We hope that you will join us in supporting these champions for working Floridians.
Governor & Lt. Governor:
David Jolly & Gwen Graham
Attorney General: Jose Javier Rodriguez
Brother Rodriguez is uncontested in the Democratic Primary for this race, so you won’t see his name on your ballot. But please take a moment to check him out. He won a strong early endorsement from the Florida AFL-CIO and the importance of this race can’t be understated.
State Senate, District 6:
Jason Bellamy-Fults
State Representative, District 22:
Amy Trask
Alachua County Judge 5: Eric Atria
Eric Atria and his wife Stacie moved to Gainesville in 2002 and quickly fell in love with the local community. They decided to establish their careers and start their family here in Alachua County. After graduating from UF Law in 2004, Eric spent the next 21 years doing public defense, ensuring that due process was followed in the pursuit of justice in over 10,000 criminal cases. He spent 12 years as the director of legal interns for his agency, personally mentoring dozens of UF students as they gained real world experience in criminal defense. In addition, Eric has dedicated a significant portion of his career to pro bono work, helping people unable to afford legal services in a wide variety of civil cases. For this, he received the highly esteemed Florida Bar President’s Pro Bono Award in 2025. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Florida, creating and teaching an experiential criminal law class.
Eric is also a long-time local musician and founding member of Morningbell and The Shoddy Beatles. After spending two decades in a courtroom, Eric chose to run for county judge in order to serve his community in a larger role. He believes that everyone who comes before the court deserves an equal opportunity to be heard while being treated with dignity, respect, and fairness.
Alachua County School Board District 3:
Dr. Sarah Rockwell
Dr. Sarah Rockwell is a mother of two children with disabilities, a lifelong educator, and a trusted advocate for students and families. She brings more than 20 years of classroom, research, and community experience to her work on the Alachua County School Board.
Dr. Rockwell earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in Special Education from the University of Florida, concentrating on early childhood disabilities, reading disabilities, and Autism. During her tenure on the school board, Dr. Rockwell has worked to improve literacy rates, helping to narrow the literacy gap by 5 points. She has also been a strong advocate for students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students, employees, and families.
Alachua County Commission District 4:
Ken Cornell
Putnam County Commission:
Joshua Florence
Joshua Florence is a proven public servant with over a decade of frontline experience delivering real results for his community through collaborative leadership. He served as a lieutenant with the Melrose Fire Department, where he was instrumental in founding the Community Resource Paramedicine Program and the Water Rescue Team, and was a proud IAFF member during a career tenure with other fire departments. Through partnerships with nonprofits, healthcare providers, and civic organizations, Joshua helped build community collaborations that improved services and outcomes for residents.
Alongside his fire service, Joshua also works as a medical assistant at a pediatric clinic, giving him hands-on experience supporting children and families through preventive healthcare. This dual background in emergency response and patient care gives him a ground level understanding of the gaps families face in getting affordable care, insight he brings into policy conversations about county services.
A proud “Double Viking,” Joshua earned an Associate’s degree in Emergency Medical Services and a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management with a concentration in Healthcare Administration from St. Johns River State College. He is currently a candidate for a Master’s degree in Executive Healthcare Administration at the University of Central Florida, building policy expertise to serve county government.
His commitment to service began with earning the rank of Eagle Scout and continued through recognitions including Volunteer Firefighter of the Year (2021) for Putnam County and the State of Florida, as well as the Florida Board of Education Commissioner’s Leadership Award. Each of these milestones reflects one throughline: a willingness to show up, work hard, and put the community’s needs first.
Joshua brings this experience, education, and results driven approach as he seeks to serve District 4 on the Putnam County Board of County Commissioners, ready to turn a career of service into a career of solutions.
Marion County School Board District 3: Eric Cummings
Marion County Commissioner District 2: Mike Crimi
City of Gainesville Mayor: Harvey Ward
Gainesville City Commission District 3: Casey Willits
U.S. Senator, Congressional District 3, State Rep Dist. 21, Alachua County Commissioner District 2, & Alachua School Board District 1: no endorsements at this time.