Election Day is August 18th
I was born right here in Gainesville. Not just raised here—shaped here. Every lesson I’ve learned about service, about community, about what it means to show up for your neighbors—I learned it on these streets, in these churches, around these kitchen tables.
My journey hasn’t been about climbing. It’s been about serving—in whatever way my community needed me.
When I was young, I felt a pull toward public safety. I saw what violence was doing to our community—to families like mine, to neighborhoods I loved. I couldn’t just stand by.
So I joined the Gainesville Police Explorer program. For five years, I walked alongside officers, learning what it really takes to keep a community safe. It wasn’t just about enforcement—it was about connection, about trust, about being present.
That same calling led me to the Black on Black Crime Task Force, where I spent five more years working to address violence not just after it happened, but before—through intervention, through prevention, through the hard work of building relationships in communities that had been written off.
Today, I own Fortitude Security. Every day, my team and I work to protect our neighbors, our businesses, our community. It’s not just a job—it’s a continuation of that same calling.
Some people run for office to start serving. I’ve been serving for decades—on the boards and commissions where the real work gets done.
I’ve chaired the Alachua County Affordable Housing Board, fighting to ensure every family has a decent place to call home. I’ve chaired the City of Gainesville Equal Opportunity Office, working to build a community where everyone has a fair shot.
I’ve served on the Planning Board—three years of grappling with the hard questions about how our city grows.
This isn’t a learning experience for me. I’ve done the reading. I’ve sat through the meetings. I’ve made the tough calls. When I take my seat on the City Commission, I’ll be ready on Day One.
— DeJeon Cain
Current Positions:
Former Service: