Democrat and Melbourne councilwoman Yvonne Minus files to run for County Commission District 3

Melbourne city councilwoman Yvonne Minus has filed tor run for the Brevard County Commission District 3 seat. She is the first Democratic candidate for the seat this election cycle.

The seat is currently held by Republican John Tobia who cannot seek re-election because of term limits.

Minus has served on Melbourne City Council since 2014, when she was appointed to fill a vacancy, making her the first Black woman to sit on the city's governing body. She then went on to win two more elections, maintaining her office. She will be ineligible to run again next year due to term limits.

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When reached by telephone Monday, Minus said her motivation for running is simple:

"I enjoy working for the community. I'm an advocate for the citizens of Melbourne and hopefully for District 3 and Brevard County," she said. "I want to continue that work."

"I want to work with the different communities in the district to find out what they need. But I want to support our first responders and also work to shore up our infrastructure in the county. Those are probably my two most important concerns," Minus said.

"Affordable housing is paramount in my opinion," she added. "I'm definitely very excited about what I can do for the county."

As a Democrat, Minus acknowledged that it would be challenging to win a seat that has been typically gone to Republicans in a heavily Republican County. John Tobia is a staunch fiscal conservative who has made a name for himself in state and county politics by consistently voting against many government spending programs.

As things stand now, Minus has entered the race with two Republicans, West Melbourne city councilman John Dittmore and Republican state committeewoman Kim Adkinson. "Of course it's a challenge to be running as a Democrat. With the county being heavily Republican, it will be a challenge," Minus said. "But I do believe in the county and in District 3, the people will look at what the individual has to offer and not whether you have an R or a D next to your name. People don't care about your party, they want their roads fixed and their concerns addressed," she added. Brevard County Commissioners serve four-year terms and make an annual salary of $60,272.98.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Democrat, Melbourne councilwoman Yvonne Minus files to run for County Commission