The qualifying period for upcoming Polk County elections ended at noon on Friday, June 12, solidifying the ballot for this August.
August 18 Primary Election
Here’s what to expect on the ballot when you head to the polls on August 18.
Polk County School Board
The Polk County School Board is elected by county-wide vote. Board members must live within the district they represent, but all of Polk County can vote in school board elections, regardless of address.
Polk County School Board elections are non-partisan. If incumbents are not challenged, they are elected by default.
District 3 incumbent Kate Wallace, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in November 2025, will face Sarah Corona and Victor Sims in the August primary.
In District 5, Sam Neelam will face incumbent Kay Fields, who has served six terms on the board since first being elected in 2002. A law signed by DeSantis in 2023 limits school board members to two terms or eight years from the law’s passing. Fields’ first term started before the law went into effect, making her eligible to run this cycle. If elected, this will be her final term.
District 6 incumbent Justin Sharpless will face Kasen Hampton.
District 7 incumbent Lisa Miller was unopposed and reelected by default. This will be Miller’s final term due to limits imposed in 2023.
Polk County Commission
The Board of Polk County Commissioners is elected by county-wide vote. Commissioners must live within the district they represent, but all of Polk County can vote in County Commission elections, regardless of address.
Polk County Commission races are the only partisan local races in the upcoming election, meaning these are the only races where candidates declare a political party and voters are limited to vote within their party during primary races.
Commissioners are limited to three consecutive four-year terms. Elections for Districts 1, 3, and 5 occur during presidential election years. District 2 and 4 elections occur during midterm election years.
Polk County Commission seats in Districts 2 and 4 are up for election this year.
District 2, representing southern Polk County, including parts of Mulberry, Bartow, Lake Wales, Fort Meade, and Frostproof, will be decided during the primary election in August. Current County Commissioner Rick Wilson (Rep) will face challenger Kelly Quinn (Rep).
District 4 represents the northeast corner of Polk County, including parts of Haines City and Davenport. The District 4 election will be decided during the general election in November. Omar Arroyo (Rep) will face write-in candidate Elisha Gresham (WRI) in the general election in November. Current District 4 County Commissioner Martha Santiago (Rep) will step down in November at the conclusion of her second term.
County Judges
All three Polk County judge elections have been decided by default. Incumbent judges Anne T. Gibson, Hope M. Pattey, and David E. Stamey Jr. did not face opposition and will not appear on primary or general election ballots.
Circuit Court Judges
Six 10th Judicial Circuit Judges have been reelected without opposition: Michelle O. Pincket, Sharon M. Franklin, John C. Waters, Cassandra L. Denmark, Gerald P. Hill II, and Jalal A. Harb.
In two circuit judge races without incumbents, Lakeisha Latoya Babers will face Chris P. Spath, and Andrea DeMichael will face Candice Dixon in the August primary.
Florida Chief Financial Officer
In the August primary, incumbent Blaise Ingoglia (Rep) will face Frank William Collige (Rep), and Earle Ford (Dem) will face Annette Taddeo (Dem). Winners of those races will be on the ballot in the November general election.
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture
Incumbent Wilton Simpson (Rep) will face Matt Taylor (Rep), commonly known online as Matt the Welder, in the August primary. The winner will face Donald A. “Don” Prichard (Dem) and Kyle “KC” Gibso (WRI) in the November general election.
Florida Governor
Twenty-five candidates have qualified in the race for Florida governor.
In August’s closed primary, registered Democrats will vote between five candidates, and Republicans will vote between nine candidates.
Candidates who advance to the general election in November will face six candidates with no party affiliation, four write-in candidates, and one Libertarian candidate.
Important Dates
- July 20, 2026 – Deadline to register, update personal information, or change party affiliation for August’s primary election
- August 6, 2026 – Deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot for August’s primary election
- August 8–15, 2026 – Mandatory early voting period for the primary election
- August 18, 2026 – Primary election
- November 3, 2026 – General election
Look up your voter precinct here.
Polk County Supervisor of Elections has a sample ballot in the works and will release it when completed. Look for a more detailed voter guide from LkldNow in the coming weeks.
These races won’t be on the August ballot but expect to see them in the November general election:
- District 50 State Representative: Incumbent Jennifer Canady (Rep) will face Ricky Santiago (Dem).
- District 51 State Representative: Incumbent Hilary Holley (Rep) will face Octavio E. Hernandez (Dem).
- District 18 U.S. Representative: Incumbent Scott Franklin (Rep) will face Curtis Gibson (Dem) and Deva Simmons (NPA).
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