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Polk County voters decide several local races on Tuesday, Aug. 18, including the District 2 Polk County Commission seat and two 10th Judicial Circuit Court races.

According to 2026 unofficial primary results, nearly 21% of 450,579 registered voters cast their vote, an increase from 17% voter turnout in the 2024 primary election.

A total of 94,730 Polk County residents voted. Of this number, 53,672 were registered Republicans, and 31,975 were registered Democrats; 7,821 had no party affiliation. 48,337 people voted in-person on election day, 13,994 voted early, and 32,339 voted by mail.

County Commission: District 2 

With 51% of the vote, incumbent Rick Wilson, 73, won a third and final term representing District 2 on the Polk Board of County Commissioners. He narrowly defeated challenger Kelly Quinn, 32, who received 49% of votes.

District 2 covers portions of southern Polk County, including parts of Mulberry, Bartow, Lake Wales, Fort Meade and Frostproof. The County Commission District 2 contest was a universal primary — the election for the seat because no Democrat or other candidate qualified.

A Bartow rancher and business owner, Wilson raised nearly $78,000 in this race — more than five times Quinn’s roughly $14,000. Quinn, a third-generation Polk County resident and small-business owner, challenged Wilson on issues including water protection, agricultural land, and growth.

As the results came in on Tuesday night, Quinn noted that Wilson had been elected in a universal primary in 2018 and unopposed in 2022. “So that’s why I threw my name in a hat literally 10 weeks out, right before qualifying,” Quinn said. “We ran a really tight race that was all about citizens and community, and that’s exactly what we did, and it shows in the numbers.”

“My background in the last 10 years has been as an advocate, working with conservation, working across bipartisan borders,” she said.

Quinn said she plans to stay involved in politics. “I’ve made so many relationships across every point now, and really, what I wanted to do is find what was happening in our county and actually, how do we start? How do I help you as a citizen, as fellow citizens, solve your problem?”

10th Judicial Circuit Court 

In the 10th Judicial Circuit Court, serving Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties, Bartow attorney Chris Spath defeated Lakeisha Latoya Babers for the Group 23 seat. Lakeland attorney Andrea DeMichael defeated Candice Dixon in Group 24. 

Both winners are former prosecutors. DeMichael owns DeMichael Law, and Spath practices personal injury and has handled civil litigation and probate work.

Six other 10th Judicial Circuit judges were reelected without opposition. Three Polk County judges were also reelected without opposition and did not appear on the ballot.

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Anna Toms was born and raised in Kansas City, Mo., where she cultivated a love for writing and eventually earned her Ph.D. in literature and the humanities. She is an experienced educator who has taught students from middle school to college to think critically and express themselves clearly. Anna moved to Lakeland in June of 2020.

Erin Grant is a student journalist for LkldNow. She is studying political science and communication at Florida Southern College, where she also serves as the editor and chief for the student newspaper, The Southern. She enjoys continuing to grow as a journalist while telling stories that help readers better understand their community through her contributions to LkldNow.

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