All seven Alachua County constitutional officers were sworn into their roles on Tuesday afternoon, officially ushering in new terms for the slate of nearly all incumbents.  

Alachua County has seven constitutional officers elected by the public—tax collector, sheriff, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, clerk of the circuit court, public defender and state attorney.  

Sheriff Chad Scott, who was the only newcomer, won the position after a close election resulted in a recount. Supervisor of Election Kim Barton earned 62% of the vote to enter a new term. State Attorney Brian Kramer, who is elected by all citizens within the Eighth Judicial Circuit, earned 57% of the vote to gain a second term.  

All the other officers ran unopposed.  

These included Public Defender Stacy Scott, Property Appraiser Ayesha Solomon, Tax Collector John Power and Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller J.K. “Jess” Irby.  

After being sworn in, the officers each spoke, outlining future plans and thanking family, campaign workers and their respective staffs.  

Sheriff Chad Scott said he didn’t know what to expect from a first campaign, but his manager had them out knocking on doors to get to know people with a host of people who had volunteered their time.  

“It was like a ministry, talking to people, just sharing their thoughts and what they expect of law enforcement,” Scott said. “And from city to city, from every area, from each quadrant, 

it was different, and that was very valuable to me.” 

Scott listed focus areas for his time in office, including Black lives, opioid abuse, mental health issues, domestic violence and recruitment. He said young workers love the dollar, and the sheriff’s office must provide competitive wages to keep them.  

He added that the office needs to be accountable and transparent. The office needs to release its narrative after situations and let the facts be the facts, Scott said. 

“My vision is to create a safe community by holding law enforcement with integrity, fostering strong community partnership, prioritizing proactive crime prevention and ensuring all citizens are treated with fairness and respect, which is often achieved through well trained and accountable deputies who are actively involved with the community they serve,” Scott said. “That’s what I want.”   

Editor’s note: This story was updated with quotes from Chad Scott.