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Bill before Florida Legislature would ban nonpartisan municipal races

pink and gray building with lots of windows
Craig Moore
/
Flickr.com
Tallahassee City Hall

A measure before the Florida Legislature proposes an amendment to the state Constitution that would ban nonpartisan municipal elections.

HJR 405 would ask voters to approve making all local government elections partisan, meaning candidates for city and county commissions would have to disclose their party affiliations in order to run.

It’s sponsored by Chase Tramont, a Republican who represents parts of Brevard and Volusia counties.

Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey, a Democrat in a predominantly blue city, doesn’t support the measure. In a statement, he says, “Local government is about service delivery and quality of life. Not partisan politics.”

The proposal would need 60 percent approval in both the House and Senate, then to go before Florida voters next year.

Follow @MargieMenzel

Margie Menzel covers local and state government for WFSU News. She has also worked at the News Service of Florida and Gannett News Service. She earned her B.A. in history at Vanderbilt University and her M.S. in journalism at Florida A&M University.