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MELROSE – Democrats from Clay and the surrounding counties don’t feel represented by their local elected officials.
Though the left-leaning constituency has found itself in the minority of voters in the area, an April 21 event at Heritage Park in the Melrose community aimed to bring together a group of like-minded individuals who, when working together, hope they can get the candidates they support elected.
Hosted by the Democrats of the Lakes Area, and supported by Democratic organizations from Clay, Bradford, Alachua and Putnam Counties, a pirate-themed political rally brought out a couple dozen voters and the candidates they support in the upcoming general election in November.
“Trying to get people in the countryside to go to political rallies can be a challenge because if it isn’t very fun, nobody wants to go,” said event organizer Lee Malis. “The whole idea is to get real people [to come], and to get the candidates here to talk to them in person.”
Malis formulated the idea for the pirate theme and making the event more than a typical political rally, complete with a pirate costume contest and parade, dunk tank and live music. The parade led participants around the circumference of Heritage Park playing kazoo-laden renditions of traditional pirate songs and holding signs calling for an ousting of the “pirates” in the House and Senate.
Candidates were given two minutes each to speak their piece, with some leading the group in chants taken from the event’s poster including “Give Yoho the Heave Ho!” in support of candidate Yvonne Hayes Hinson who is running against incumbent U.S. Congressman Ted Yoho(R-3) of Gainesville.
“Lee wanted to make an interesting event that people would enjoy coming to, not just speeches,” said Kate Ellison, Bradford Democratic Executive Committee chair. “We’re hoping to do politics different.”
Walking through the park, there were the typical runners handing out political flyers for issues such as prison reform and anti-mining platforms. There was a different environment than the typical rally closer to the main stage where a 15-foot pirate stood next to the performing musicians. Near the highway, Malis sat atop the dunk tank’s teetering platform, his head shrouded in a gruesome rubber rendering of President Donald Trump’s face.
Kids wandered through the grounds with smiles on their faces instead of bored whines in the face of complicated political commentary. This was, as the flier described it, a “fun rally” instead of a mind-numbing political event.
Malis said he would be working with the organizations involved in the Melrose event to plan future events in Palatka and somewhere in Alachua County as election season draws closer.
Local politicians were on hand to shake hands and talk about the issues, but the theme in their conversation was less self-serving and more about supporting each other in their respective races.
“We want to feel like a united group of Democrats,” said Cheryl Owen, who is running against incumbent Gavin Rollins for the Keystone Heights-centric County Commission seat 4. “There are Democrats out here and we’re not afraid to show that we exist!”