Voter Guide

Voter Guide

Voter Guide 2022

Presenting LkldNow’s Voter Guide, 2022. We hope you find this guide valuable to research candidates who aspire to represent Lakeland residents in Congress, the Legislature and Polk County offices. Click the links for the races you’re interested in. These articles will be updated regularly through election season.

Primary election: Aug. 23 | General election: Nov. 8

Voting

Dates, precincts, ways to vote

U.S. House

Primaries in both Lakeland districts

Florida Senate

Vote Nov. 7; no August primaries

Florida House

All may vote in the Aug. 23 primary

Polk School Board

Four nonpartisan races Aug. 23

Polk County Commission

One race on the Nov. 8 ballot

Polk County Judge

Five candidates in one race Aug. 23.

News links, videos

Coming soon*

  • Coming soon: We’ll be adding more links to news articles and forum videos. Links that talk about a specific type of office (i.e. School Board) will be on the page for that office. We will have a separate page for links to articles and videos that cover multiple office.

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Voter Guide

Forum Videos & News Links

Forum videos

Check videos from local candidate forums below. Drop us a line if we’re missing videos from local forums that you know of.

News links

Links to news coverage that includes multiple kinds of local election campaigns. Links about a single race or a similar category of races (Polk County School Board, for example) can be found on the pages for those categories.)

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Voter Guide

Florida House of Representatives

Three Florida House districts includes portions of Lakeland, but there are elections in just two of them. Rep. Melony Bell, a Republican whose District 49 includes parts of south Lakeland, was re-elected without opposition.

The two Lakeland-area House races on the Aug. 23 primary ballot each involve two Republican candidates. Since there is no Democratic opponent in either race, these are considered “universal primaries,” meaning any registered voter in the district can vote regardless of party status.

The Districts

District 49
Melony Bell, R, unopposed
District 50
Jennifer Canady, R, vs. Phillip Walker, R
District 51
Bill Olson, R, vs. Josie Tomkow, R, incumbent

District 50

There is no incumbent in this race; Colleen Burton, who represented a similar district before this year’s reapportionment, reached term limits and is running for a state Senate seat. The candidates are Jennifer Canady, a Lakeland Christian School teacher who has been appointed to several statewide boards, and Phillip Walker, a 12-year member of the Lakeland City Commission and retired insurance agency owner.

Jennifer Canady

Jennifer Canady
  • Republican
  • Lakeland, age 48
  • Website
  • Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: Conservative Republican for State Representative
  • Endorsements: Business Voice (Lakeland Chamber of Commerce), Polk County Builders Association, Associated Industries of Florida, Florida Chamber, Police Benevolent Association

Phillip Walker

Phillip Walker

News links

  • At least two Lakeland Republicans running in Florida House primary — LkldNow, Feb. 21, 2021
  • Jennifer Canady has early funding lead over Phillip Walker – The Ledger, June 19, 2021
  • If Jennifer Canady wins Lakeland House race, husband Chief Justice Charles Canady could face legal issues – The Ledger, August 12, 2021
  • Video: NAACP Candidate Forum – Jennifer Canady and Phillip Walker, Florida House District 50 – LkldNow, July 20
  • Canady, Walker face off for Florida House seat – The Ledger, Aug. 9

District 51

Incumbent Josie Tomkow, who hails from a north Polk cattle family, is running for her third term in the Florida House. She faces Bill Olson of Davenport, who had planned to run for U.S. House against Darren Soto, but switched races after conservative east Polk was removed from Soto’s Democratic-leaning district.

Bill Olson

Bill Olson
  • Republican
  • Davenport, 58
  • Website (from a previous race)
  • Facebook
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: Combat Veteran. Fighting for America (from a previous race)
  • Endorsements: Polk County Voters’ League

Josie Tomkow

Josie Tomkow
  • Republican
  • Polk City, 26
  • Website
  • Facebook | Twitter
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: 7th Generation Floridian. 3rd Generation Cattle Rancher
  • Endorsements: Business Voice (Lakeland Chamber of Commerce), Polk County Builders Association

News links

  • House Speaker-designate Paul Renner endorses Josie Tomkow for HD 51 – Florida Politics, June 6
  • Bill Olson leaves US House race to challenge Representative Josie Tomkow in Florida House – The Ledger, June 22 
  • Tomkow and Olson run low-key campaigns, without forums or interviews – The Ledger, Aug. 12 (subscribers only)

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Voter Guide

U.S. House of Representatives

For years, Lakeland was represented by one member of the U.S. House of Representatives. After this year’s realignment of districts, Lakeland is split nearly in half. District 15 covers all of Lakeland west of Florida Avenue and U.S. 98 N. District 18 covers the other half.

The Districts

District 15 includes portions of Lakeland west of Florida Avenue and U.S. 98. There is no incumbent.
District 18 includes portions of Lakeland east of Florida Avenue and U.S. 98. Republican incumbent Scott Franklin faces challengers from both parties.

District 15, Republicans

The District 15 race is getting a lot of attention because it has no incumbent. Political analysts say Republicans have a clear edge in the district, but an upset is possible. The three women on the Republican ballot have significant government experience and name recognition while the two men have proven adept at fund-raising despite lower profiles. At one time, former U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross of Lakeland was a candidate for this primary, but he has withdrawn.

Demetries Grimes

Demetries Grimes

Laurel Lee

Laurel Lee
  • Republican
  • Brandon, age 48
  • Website
  • Facebook | Twitter | Vimeo
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: A Conservative Leader for Congressional District 15.
  • Endorsements: Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, Plant City Mayor Nathan Kilton, Green Beret Jay Collins, Concerned Veterans for America Action

Kevin McGovern

Kevin McGovern

Kelli Stargel

Kelli Stargel
  • Republican
  • Lakeland, age 56
  • Website
  • Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: The Conservative Hero Who Delivers Results
  • Endorsements: Sheriff Grady Judd, Florida Family Council President John Stemberger, Parental Rights Florida Coordinator Patti Sullivan

Jackie Toledo

Jackie Toledo

News links

  • PAC supporting Laurel Lee gets $1 million infusion – Florida Politics, July 19
  • Misleading ads tied to PAC supporting Stargel – Florida Politics, Aug. 4
  • Five Republicans vie to be candidate for Florida’s new 15th Congressional district – The Ledger, Aug. 11

District 15, Democrats

Most of the attention on the Democratic side of this race has gone to Alan Cohn, a former TV reporter who has run for Congress twice before, and Eddie Geller, a video producer and comedian who far outpaced the other candidates in fund-raising as of the end of June.

Gavin Brown

Gavin Brown

Alan Cohn

Alan Cohn
  • Democrat
  • Tampa, age 59
  • Website
  • Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: Independent Leadership for Florida
  • Endorsements: Former Governor/Congressman Charlie Crist, Former Florida CFO Alex Sink, Former Education Commissioner Betty Castor, State Attorney Andrew Warren, Former Florida House Majority Leader Samuel Bell III, U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Lois Frankel, and six labor unions

Eddie Geller

Eddie Geller
  • Democrat
  • Mango, age 38
  • Website
  • Facebook | Twitter
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: He’s Gonna Fight for You
  • Endorsements: Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida, Florida Democratic Disability Caucus, Progressives for Democracy in America (Central Florida Chapter)

Cesar Ramirez

Cesar Ramirez

William VanHorn

William VanHorn

News links

Open District 15 seat draws five ambitious Democrats – The Ledger (subscribers only), Aug. 10

District 18, Republicans

Reapportionment put Scott Franklin, a former Lakeland city commissioner, into District 18; he is currently completing his first term in Congress. There are no Democratic candidates in the race.

Scott Franklin (incumbent)

Scott Franklin
  • Republican
  • Lakeland, age 58
  • Website
  • Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: Conservative for Congress
  • Endorsements: Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, as well as sheriffs in Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Okeechobee, Hardee and Highlands counties

Kenny Hartpence

Jennifer Raybon

Jennifer Raybon
  • Republican
  • Clermont, age 54
  • Website
  • Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: Together we will restore America
  • Endorsements: Patriots for Freedom PAC, ‘Constitutional’ Sheriff Richard Mack, filmmaker/speaker Trevor Loudon, Polk County Voters’ League

Wendy Schmeling

Wendy Schmeling

Eddie Tarazona

Eddie Tarazona

News links

Incumbent Franklin faces four opponents in Republican primary — The Ledger, Aug. 7

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Voter Guide

Florida Senate

Under the latest reapportionment of the Florida Legislature, Lakeland is split between two Senate districts:

  • District 12 includes all of Lakeland north of the Polk Parkway as well as most of Polk County north of State Road 60.
  • District 47 includes all of Lakeland and its suburbs south of the Polk Parkway and extends south to Lee County.

Both district elections include one Republican and one Democrat, so neither race will be represented on the Aug. 23 primary. Both seats will be decided in the Nov. 7 general election.

The Districts

District 12
Colleen Burton, R, vs. Veysel Dokur, D
District 47
Ben Albritton, R, vs. Christopher Proia, D

District 12

This race will be decided in the Nov. 8 general election. Republican Colleen Burton is seeking to be elevated to the Florida Senate after serving the maximum eight years in the Florida House. Democrat Veysel Dokur is an IT engineer and first-time office seeker. Both are Lakeland residents.

Colleen Burton

Colleen Burton

Veysel Dokur

Veysel Dokur

District 27

Republican incumbent Ben Albritton of Wauchula served in the Florida House for eight years before being elected in 2018 to the Senate, where he is in line to be Senate president for 2024-26. Democratic candidate Christopher Proia of Fort Myers is a truck driver and stand-up comedian.

Ben Albritton (incumbent)

  • Republican
  • Wauchula, age 53
  • Website
  • Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: Faith. Families. Freedom.
  • Endorsements: Business Voice (Lakeland Chamber of Commerce); former U.S. Reps. Dennis Ross and Tom Rooney; State Attorney Brian Haas; former Lakeland Mayor Howard Wiggs, Polk County Builders Association

Christopher Proia

Christopher Proia

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Voter Guide

Polk School Board

Four of the seven seats on the nonpartisan Polk County School Board are being contested in the Aug. 23 primary election. Each seat represents a separate geographic area, but School Board members are elected countywide. Three of the races involve an incumbent and at least one challenger supported by ultra-conservative organizations. A fourth race will determine a replacement for Lynn Wilson, who is not seeking re-election after eight years on the board. School Board members set policy for a massive school district that encompasses 110,000 students and 13,000 employees.

District 3

Sarah Fortney (incumbent)

Sarah Fortney
  • Bartow, age 61
  • Website
  • Facebook | Twitter
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: Experience. Relationships. Relevance.
  • Endorsements: Business Voice (Lakeland Chamber of Commerce), Polk County Builders Association, Polk County Voters’ League, Democratic Party of Polk County, Polk County Democratic Black Caucus

Rick Nolte

Rick Nolte
  • Mulberry, age 66
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: Rick will work to unite students, teachers, parents and all faculty to insure everyone is heard and the students are receiving the best education to lead them into bright tomorrows.
  • Endorsements: Gov. Ron DeSantis, Republican Party of Polk County, Winter Haven 9-12 Project

News links

  • Rick Nolte challenges Sarah Fortney’s bid for 2nd term – The Ledger, July 29

District 5

Terry L. Clark

Terry Clark
  • Lakeland, age 72
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: Educate, not indoctrinate.
  • Endorsements: Lakeland Association of Realtors, Republican Party of Polk County, Winter Haven 9-12 Project

Kay Fields (incumbent)

Kay Fields
  • Lakeland, age 70
  • Facebook | Twitter
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: A strong voice for children.
  • Endorsements: Sheriff Grady Judd, Business Voice (Lakeland Chamber of Commerce), Polk County Builders Association, Polk County Voters’ League, Polk County Democratic Black Caucus

News links

  • Pastor Terry Clark aims to deny Kay Fields a 6th term — The Ledger, Aug. 1
  • Polk School Board District 5: Incumbent Kay Fields vs. Terry Clark — LkldNow, Aug. 3

District 6

Sara Estelle Jones

Sara Jones
  • Lake Wales, age 33
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: Advocating for sound solutions.
  • Endorsements: Polk County Voters’ League, West Central Florida Labor Council, Democratic Party of Polk County, Polk County Democratic Black Caucus

Justin Sharpless

Justin Sharpless
  • Lake Wales, age 38
  • Website
  • Facebook | Twitter
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: Sharpie for Students
  • Endorsements: Sheriff Grady Judd, Business Voice (Lakeland Chamber of Commerce), Republican Party of Polk County, Polk County Builders Association, Lakeland Association of Realtors, East Polk Association of Realtors, Fort Meade Mayor Bob Elliott, Winter Haven 9-12 Project

News links

  • Candidate Jones under Florida Bar inquiry over events she claims were caused by communication errors – The Ledger, June 28
  • Newcomers Sara Jones and Justin Sharpless vie for open seat – The Ledger, Aug. 2

District 7

Lisa Miller (incumbent)

Lisa Miller
  • Lakeland, age 46
  • Website
  • Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: Our children. Our future.
  • Endorsements: Business Voice (Lakeland Chamber), East Polk Association of Realtors, Lakeland Association of Realtors, Polk County Builders Association

Dell Quary

Dell Quary

Jill Sessions

  • Lakeland, age 57
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: School is in Session
  • Endorsements: Republican Party of Polk County, Winter Haven 9-12 Project

News links

  • Texts falsely claim School Board member is under criminal inquiry – The Ledger, July 1
  • Lisa Miller faces two challengers in her bid for a second term – The Ledger, Aug. 3

News and video links – multiple seats

  • School Board races are supposed to be nonpartisan, but both parties are endorsing – The Ledger, July 1
  • Video: County Citizens Defending Freedom candidate forum, July 16
  • Two companies run by School Board campaign manager found in breach of contract – The Ledger, July 27 (subscribers only)

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Polk County Commission

Registered voters throughout Polk County can vote in the Nov. 8 election for Polk County Commission, District 4, which represents portions of east Polk. It is the only County Commission race on this year’s ballot. First-term Commissioner Rick Wilson of Bartow was re-elected without opposition. The five-member Board of County Commissioners serves as the legislative body setting policy for Polk County government. Terms of office are four years.

Martha Santiago (incumbent)

Martha Santiago
  • Republican
  • Winter Haven, age 67
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • Campaign finance
  • Campaign slogan: Proven Leadership Making Polk County the Best County It Can Be
  • Endorsements: Sheriff Grady Judd, Business Voice, (Lakeland Chamber of Commerce), Lakeland Association of Realtors, East Polk Association of Realtors, Polk County Builders Association

Markeishia L. Smith

Markeishia L. Smith

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Polk County Judge

Five lawyers are running in the nonpartisan race for Polk County judge, group 8. There is no incumbent; the previous group 8 judge, Susan Barber, was elected to the circuit court without opposition and will replace Judge Donald Jacobsen, who is retiring. County judges typically hear cases involving criminal misdemeanors, traffic cases and civil cases under $30,000 (That cap rises to $50,000 in Jan. 1). The term of office is six years.

John Flynn

John Flynn
  • Mulberry, age 48
  • Website
  • Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
  • Campaign finance
  • Current occupation: Private practice focusing on criminal cases with experience in family and civil law; former prosecutor
  • Campaign slogan: I am a Believer in the Constitution
  • Endorsements: Kevin Balentine, Esq., Valerie Wright, Esq., Lopez & Humphries, PA, Fat Jack’s owner Mark Westfall

Ruth Moracen Knight

Ruth Moracen Knight
  • Lakeland, age 54
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • Campaign finance
  • Current occupation: Public Defender’s Office or 20 years.
  • Campaign slogan: The necessary experience, temperament and skills to be elected as county judge
  • Endorsements: Polk County Voters’ League, Polk County Democratic Black Caucus

Carmalita Lall

Carmalita Lall
  • Lakeland, age 54
  • Website
  • Personal Facebook Page
  • Campaign finance
  • Current occupation: Private practice specializing in civil real estate litigation; former assistant public defender
  • Campaign slogan: I will serve with dedication, fairness, and integrity.

Adam David Patton

Adam Patton
  • Lakeland, age 43
  • Website
  • Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
  • Campaign finance
  • Current occupation: Solo legal practice specializing in criminal, family, collaborative and civil law; former prosecutor
  • Campaign slogan: Vote Patton for Judge
  • Endorsements: Dr. Larry Padgett, Flightline Cafe owner Kal Scarvers

Tara Wheat

Tara Wheat
  • Winter Haven, age 39
  • Website
  • Facebook | Instagram
  • Campaign finance
  • Current occupation: Public Defender’s Office for six years; previously, public school teacher
  • Campaign slogan: The Right Balance
  • Endorsements: Seven local attorneys, PalletOne President Howe Wallace, Polk State College Director of Student Life Melvin Thompson, Retired FDLE Supervisor David Waller

News links

  • Five lawyers contend for Polk County judicial vacancy – The Ledger , Aug. 8

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Voter Guide

Voting: When, Where, How

Election dates
Aug. 23: Party primaries; nonpartisan elections (such as Polk School Board); universal primaries *
Nov. 8: General election
Polling places are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for in-person voting.

Register to vote
Register to vote or update your voter information online
Download a printable registration form
Get paper registration forms at banks and multiple other locations throughout Lakeland
Registration closes July 25 for the primary election.
Registration closes Oct. 11 for the general election.
Frequently-asked questions and answers

Get a personalized sample ballot
Enter your address to get a personalized sample ballot and polling place location

View combined sample ballots
Check compilations showing all races that will appear on ballots in Polk County:
Republican | Democrat | No Party Affiliation

Request a mail ballot
There are three ways to request a vote-by-mail ballot
– Online: Start the process here
– Email: [email protected]
– Phone: 863-534-5888

Voting by mail for the primary has begun. Ballots must be received at the Polk Supervisor of Elections Office by 7 p.m. on Aug. 23.

Early voting…
… for the primary election takes place Aug. 13 to 20 at two Lakeland locations:
– Polk County Government Operations Center, 930 E. Parker St. (map)
– Simpson Park Recreation Center, 1725 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (map)
– Other Polk locations

Look up your precinct
Enter your address to get a personalized sample ballot and polling place location

Polling-place procedures
Voters will be asked to show two forms of identification: a signature identification and a photo identification. Some IDs that have both a photo and signature, such as a driver license, can be accepted as a single form of identification. More on polling-place procedures.

* Universal primary: Any registered voter, regardless of party status, can vote in primaries where there will be no opponent from another party in the general election. This affects two Florida House of Representatives seats in the Lakeland area in which only Republicans are running.

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