Gallop Franklin is first to file for HD 8 race

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Gallop Franklin II, a Tallahassee pharmacist and FAMU pharmacy professor, is the first candidate to file for the now vacant FL House District 8, which includes FAMU, seat after Rep. Ramon Alexander dropped his re-election bid amid sexual harassment allegations.

HD 8 is one of Florida’s majority-Black districts, where Black residents make up over 50% of voters. It consists of all of Gadsden County and portions of Tallahassee and Leon County. The last contested race for the seat was in 2016, where Alexander won in a four-way contest.

Franklin, was born and raised in Tallahassee, was FAMU student body president and university trustee from 2009-2011. He is also a former Gubernatorial fellow under Charlie Crist when he attended college.

This is not the first time Franklin has sought public office. He applied for the vacant Tallahassee City Commission seat in 2018 after Scott Maddox was removed from the seat by a Rick Scott executive order following Maddox’s indictment.

Franklin claims his family moved to Midway, Florida in the mid-1800s and has lived in the area ever since. He said he decided to run because he wants to make sure Leon and Gadsden counties are represented by the right kind of leader who understands their communities.

He will likely face Hubert Brown, JD, and Gretna City Manager Antonio Jefferson in the race for the job which pays $29, 697.

Several well known Tallahassee politicos such as City Commissioner Dianne Williams Cox, County Commissioner Nick Maddox, and School Board Member Darryl Jones opted out of the race, likely because their current jobs pay more.