Across WUFT's coverage area, over 65 county and city-level offices face competitive primary or general elections this fall.
Our newsroom reached out to all 171 candidates in those contested races and asked if they would help us inform voters about the issues they care about, what motivated them to run and which agenda items they seek to pass if elected.
Many responded, and their positions can be found by clicking the link in their name below. If a candidate didn't respond, their name is not linked.
Florida's primary election is Aug. 20.
The deadline to change your voter registration for the general election is Oct. 7.
The general election is Nov. 5.
Scroll below to find your area and learn more about some of the candidates running to represent one of its offices. If you're looking for Alachua County candidates, click here.
Party key:
- D: Democrat
- R: Republican
- NPA: No party affiliation
- WRI: Write-in
- NP: Non-partisan race
Bradford County
Candidate | Position |
Carolyn Brown Spooner (D) | County Commission District 1 |
Shannon Smith (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Brian Outlaw (R) | County Commission District 5 |
Diane Andrews (R) | County Commission District 5 |
Candace Cragg Osteen (NP) | School Board District 4 |
Dana Reddish Bell (NP) | School Board District 4 |
Mitchell Gunter (NP) | School Board District 4 |
Ana Bhajan (NPA) | Superintendent of Schools |
Tracey Kendrick (R) | Superintendent of Schools |
Will Hartley (R) | Superintendent of Schools |
| |
Citrus County
| Curtiss Bryant (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Jeff Kinnard (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Janet Barek (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Ruthie Davis Schlabach (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Paul Grogan (NPA) | County Commission District 5 |
Holly Davis (R) | County Commission District 5 |
Amber May Thomas (NP) | County Judge Seat 3 |
Lisa Yeager (NP) | County Judge Seat 3 |
Dale Marie Merrill (NP) | School Board District 2 |
Ken Frink (NP) | School Board District 2 |
Laura Gatling-Wright (NP) | School Board District 2 |
Victoria L. Smith (NP) | School Board District 2 |
Michael Prendergast (R) | Sheriff |
David Vincent (R) | Sheriff |
Scott Hebert (R) | Superintendent of Schools |
Jason Koon (R) | Superintendent of Schools |
Maureen "Mo" Baird (R) | Supervisor of Elections |
Tifani Long (R) | Supervisor of Elections |
Columbia County
Dixie County
| Gerald "Turtle" Montgomery (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Paul Jody Stephenson (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Wade Higginbotham (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Aaron Spivey (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Mark Hatch (R) | County Commission District 3 |
David Osteen (R) | County Commission District 5 |
Tanner Lytle (R) | County Commission District 5 |
Julie Herring (R) | Sheriff |
Darby Butler (R) | Sheriff |
Darbi Chaires (R) | Supervisor of Elections |
Paul Gainey (R) | Supervisor of Elections |
Tracey Brannin Groom (R) | Supervisor of Elections |
Gilchrist County
| Jerry "Bubba" Brown Jr. (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Sharon Langford (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Billy Cannon (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Ronald Smith (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Tammy Hale (R) | County Commission District 5 |
Jeffery Jordan (R) | County Commission District 5 |
Kenrick Thomas (R) | County Commission District 5 |
John Perryman (NP) | School Board |
Susan Owens (NP) | School Board |
Dena Ann Griffith (NP) | School Board |
Patricia Hodge Philman (NP) | School Board |
Tammy Rush Moore (NP) | School Board |
Gina Geiger (R) | Superintendent of Schools |
Ronda Adkins (R) | Superintendent of Schools |
James Surrency (R) | Superintendent of Schools |
Lisa Darus (R) | Supervisor of Elections |
Scott Allen Osteen (R) | Supervisor of Elections |
Olivia Roberts (R) | Supervisor of Elections |
Michael McElroy (R) | Tax Collector |
Terry Trail (R) | Tax Collector |
Hernando County
| Ryan Amsler (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Elizabeth Narverud (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Marvin Baynham (R) | County Commission District 3 |
John Allocco (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Luciano Vignali (D) | County Commission District 3 |
Burton Frederick Melaugh (NPA) | County Commission District 3 |
Kathleen Cummings (D) | County Commission District 5 |
Pamela Everett (R) | County Commission District 5 |
Steven Champion II (R) | County Commission District 5 |
Randolph Dawson Mazourek (R) | Property Appraiser |
Kevin Johnston (R) | Property Appraiser |
Seth Noe (NP) | Property Appraiser |
Gregg Laskoski (NP) | School Board District 4 |
Mark Cioffi (NP) | School Board District 4 |
Michelle Bonczek (NP) | School Board District 4 |
Joseph Puglia (R) | Sheriff |
Al Nienhuis (R) | Sheriff |
Lafayette County
| Nancy Laminack (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Lisa Walker (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Earnest Jones (D) | County Commission District 5 |
Andrew Branche (R) | County Commission District 5 |
Jeff Walker (NP) | School Board District 2 |
Katrina Fillyaw (NP) | School Board District 2 |
Kimberly Adams (NP) | School Board District 2 |
Amanda Hickman (NP) | School Board District 2 |
Fred Allen (R) | Sheriff |
Scott Bonafide (R) | Sheriff |
Brian Lamb (R) | Sheriff |
Levy County
| Brian Gore (R) | Clerk of Court |
Matt Brooks (R) | Clerk of Court |
Jen Kerkhoff (NPA) | Clerk of Court |
Mandy Waters (R) | Clerk of Court |
Charlie Kennedy (R) | County Commission District 1 |
John Meeks (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Johnny Hiers (R) | County Commission District 5 |
Zach Bullock (R) | County Commission District 5 |
Dale Hart (R) | Property Appraiser |
Jason Whistler (R) | Property Appraiser |
Kelly Strickland Gore (NP) | School Board District 4 |
Linda Campbell (NP) | School Board District 4 |
Britton Drew (R) | Sheriff |
Bobby McCallum (R) | Sheriff |
Chris Cowart (R) | Superintendent of Schools |
Tammy Boyle (R) | Superintendent of Schools |
Marion County
| Craig Curry (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Sarah Dennis (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Matt McClain (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Rich Brown (WRI) | County Commission District 3 |
David Blackwell (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Allison Campbell (NP) | School Board District 1 |
Beth McCall (NP) | School Board District 1 |
Billy Woods (R) | Sheriff |
Milton Busby Jr. (R) | Sheriff |
Putnam County
| Douglas Hays (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Jeovanny Palencia (R) | County Commission District 1 |
JR Newbold III (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Josh Alexander (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Les Sims (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Timothy Williams (R) | County Commission District 5 |
Walton Pellicer (R) | County Commission District 5 |
Buddy Goddard (R) | County Commission District 5 |
Tim Grose (WRI) | County Commission District 5 |
Alex Sharp (NP) | County Judge Seat 1 |
Anne Marie Gennusa (NP) | County Judge Seat 1 |
Constance Daniels (NP) | County Judge Seat 1 |
Annie Davis (NP) | Palatka City Commission District 1 |
Allegra Kitchens (NP) | Palatka City Commission District 1 |
Elizabeth van Rensburg (NP) | Palatka City Commission District 3 |
Will Jones (NP) | Palatka City Commission District 3 |
David Buckles (NP) | School Board District 2 |
Leon Edenfield (NP) | School Board District 2 |
Sandra Gilyard (NP) | School Board District 3 |
Tim Houghtaling (NP) | School Board District 3 |
Gator DeLoaach (R) | Sheriff |
Edison Edison (NPA) | Sheriff |
Pat Wilson (WRI) | Superintendent of Schools |
Paul Adamczyk (R) | Superintendent of Schools |
Rick Surrency (R) | Superintendent of Schools |
Brenda Bridges (R) | Tax Collector |
Sydney Myers (R) | Tax Collector |
| Brittany Goodson (R) | Tax Collector |
Suwannee County
Kenneth Bryant (R) | County Commission District 1 |
William Don Hale (R) | County Commission District 1 |
Charlie McIntosh (WRI) | County Commission District 3 |
Travis Land (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Lesley Fry (NP) | School Board District 1 |
Adam Hitt (NP) | School Board District 1 |
Douglas Aukerman (NP) | School Board District 1 |
| Fred Martin Jr. (WRI) | Sheriff |
Harry K. Weaver Jr. (NPA) | Sheriff |
Jason Rountree (R) | Sheriff |
Sam St John (R) | Sheriff |
Janene Fitzpatrick (WRI) | Superintendent of Schools |
Ronnie Gray (R) | Superintendent of Schools |
Sharon Jordan (R) | Tax Collector |
Jennifer Holtzclaw (R) | Tax Collector |
Union County
| Kellie Rhoades (R) | Clerk of Court |
Ryan Perez (R) | Clerk of Court |
Chad Ali (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Daniel Tomlinson (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Shelton Arnold (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Melissa McNeal (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Ed Rainey (R) | County Commission District 3 |
Martie Touchstone (R) | County Commission District 3 |
