Commissioner Hayes' son to run for District 5 Volusia County Council

MANATEE COUNTY — As East County resident Donna Hayes closes out nearly a decade in her role as Manatee County’s District 5 commissioner, she’s also eager to see what the future holds.

Her son, Richard Gailey Jr., will be vying for public office for the first time in November. The longtime Republican, a graduate of Manatee High School, is running for the District 5 Volusia County Council seat.

“I always grew up saying I didn’t want to do the same things my parents did,” Gailey said, chuckling. “But here I am, at this stage (of my life), and I’m doing a lot of the same things.

“I saw an opportunity to get involved (here),” he said. “It really works well for what I do as a profession (as a financial planner).”

Hayes and a group of friends and supporters fondly dubbed, “Friends of Donna,” hosted a special fundraising reception for Gailey on April 17, at Bogey’s Restaurant and Sports Pub.

“Richard’s a product of Manatee County,” Hayes said of why she wanted to have a local fundraiser for him.
As a certified financial planner for more than 20 years, Gailey has been involved in Volusia County affairs since college and now hopes to help the lead the community toward economic recovery.

“Now that things are starting to turn around, there’s a lot of opportunity,” he said. “I’d like to make sure I’m involved in the process of diversifying our economy and bringing higher-paying jobs.”

Hayes, who said part of the reason she chose not to run for re-election was to be able to help Gailey with his campaign, is a proud mother, rattling off several of her son’s accomplishments, which range from leading a campaign to build a house for his fraternity to fighting against the approval of a gambling casino near his home.

“It’s a terrific natural step for (Richard) to take,” Hayes said of his decision to run for public office. “He’s got a strong background in a lot of areas. He has the ability to bring consensus to groups.”

Hayes said Gailey has had a strong interest in politics and religion since high school. Although both topics are ones shied away from in most everyday conversations, Hayes and her son have enjoyed those types of conversations immensely over the years.

“My children were raised receiving calls from local elected officials,” Hayes said. “One day, Jeb Bush called the house. They know the pros and cons of public life.

“Richard — as a financial planner — has been in public service in a different capacity,” she said. “Serving the public has been very rewarding. I’ve enjoyed it.”

Gailey also said he and his siblings, as children, helped Hayes, who has for decades been involved with the local Republican Party, with her political efforts.

“I really enjoyed growing up and talking with her and helping with her campaigns,” he said. “She integrated our family into each of (the) campaigns. She’s a political mentor to me, also.”

Hayes said she spends to spend as much time as possibly helping Gailey with his campaign and will focus primarily on fundraising efforts.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].

PARALLEL DISTRICTS
Richard Gailey, who grew up in Manatee County, said the District 5 Volusia County Council seat for which he is running serves an area similar to the East County.

Volusia County, he said, is comparable to Manatee County because it is a coastal area with a long stretch of beach on one side and cattle and farming, historically, on the other.

District 5, like in Manatee, has experienced tremendous growth over the last 10 years but was hit hard by the recession.

“I see a real similar parallel to where I am (and the East County),” Gailey said.

WORDS OF WISDOM
Donna Hayes said one piece of advice she’d give to her son is to do his research, stick to the facts and not be swayed by emotional appeals.

“There are good days and there are days that aren’t so good (as a politician), but in the long run it’s a great feeling to see the results of your vote and efforts toward that vote,” Hayes said.