Meet Gail
My Gainesville story began over 40 years ago when my grandparents moved here from New York. They chose Gainesville because it was a better option than living in many of the surrounding counties. They instilled a lifelong passion for education and social justice within me, as well as a desire to build a better community. My grandmother worked at Tacachale and my grandfather was the president of the NAACP for over a decade. He was instrumental in the creation of single-member districts, which helped assure minority representation in Gainesville.
I spent my formative years in Gainesville and graduated from Eastside High School and the University of Florida. After working in the publishing industry in Brooklyn, I moved back to Gainesville soon after I had my daughter, Zora Sunshine. I’m a small business owner with a passion for food and the local food movement, which I express through my catering company, delicious.delivered.
As a working mother and entrepreneur, I understand the many challenges that working families face – because this is my story. For many of us, life is perfect in Gainesville: a beautiful city surrounding a preeminent university. But we are still divided and many in Gainesville struggle. As a city, we need to do more to address the economic inequalities and work to create a Gainesville where everyone can enjoy the wonderful life and amenities we have here.
Endorsements
“I am happy to endorse Gail. She’ll be a champion for our environment and bring a much needed new voice and perspective to local governance.”
Hutch Hutchinson
Alachua County Commissioner
“I have known Gail and her family for four decades. Her grandfather, Joseph Judge, was a positive influence for so many. I believe Gail to be a person of integrity that will be on the right side of the issues. I am happy to support her.”
Nkwanda Jah
Executive Director – Cultural Arts Coalition
“Gainesville needs the energy, drive and perspective Gail Johnson can bring to the dais. As an entrepreneur and a mom, Gail sees local issues and opportunities through a lens that is missing from our commission right now. I support Gail for Gainesville and I hope you will as well.”
Harvey Ward
Gainesville City Commissioner, District 2
“Gail has a forward looking vision for Gainesville that is needed. I support her commitment to protecting our neighborhoods and local businesses, expanding internet access to all, and working to end disparities in our community.”
Adrian Hayes-Santos
Gainesville City Commissioner, District 4
“The Sun endorses Gail Johnson for the City Commission, and encourages city voters to support her in early voting that starts Saturday and on election day, March 20. We believe Johnson will bring the bold leadership needed to help make Gainesville a better place to live for all residents.”
Gainesville Sun
Editorial Board
Connecting Communities
We need to actively seek out and include people that have been locked out of the process. I will work to make inclusion a priority for our city by meeting people where they are. This means engaging community leaders and leveraging new technologies to get our citizens the information they need.
Local Business Development
I have owned and operated my own small businesses since the age of 22. While it is easier to start and maintain a small business in Gainesville than in many large cities, there are still many challenges that need to be addressed. One way we do this by supporting the development, growth and stabilization of our local businesses. These are the people who are our neighbors, whose children play together, who, on average pay higher wages and are truly committed to our communities thriving. I will work to protect our small businesses. Growing our small businesses helps keep money in our community, protects our city’s local character, and grows job opportunities in our backyard.
Affordable Housing
A healthy city is a city focused on equity. Gainesville currently ranks as the 4th most economically segregated city in America. This is most visible in our lack of affordable housing options. We must make it a priority to work with our community leaders, environmentalists, landowners, developers and our policy makers to ensure everyone has a home they can afford. Policies like inclusionary zoning and small house development allow us to maintain the inherent natural beauty of Gainesville that make so many of us want to live, work and play here.
