Winter Haven lawyer Kemp Brinson has put together an excellent guide to the candidates and issues on the Nov. 8 ballot — yes, there are lots of other races besides the Clinton-Trump one. You can see his entire guide here or read on and get links to the local races.
Brinson provides links to help readers educate themselves about the candidates and issues on the ballot and in a few cases offers his analysis.
Posting this does not imply lkldnow’s agreement or disagreement with Brinson’s analysis, but I have found him to be deeply thoughtful and broadly fair-minded in the several years I’ve known him. I also should point out that Brinson has done some legal work for me and for lkldnow.com and its parent organization. (Thanks, Kemp.)
COUNTYWIDE AND MULTI-COUNTY RACES
- Public Defender, 10th Judicial Circuit: Rex Demmig, R, incumbent, and Flora “Tonya” Stewart, D
- Polk County Commission District 3: Carol Castagnero, D, and John Hall, R, incumbent
- Polk School Board District 1: Hunt Berryman, incumbent, and Billy Townsend
- Polk School Board District 4: Sarah Beth Reynolds and Becky Troutman. No incumbent.
- Sheriff: Grady Judd, incumbent, and Michael Lashman, write-in
- Polk Soil and Water Conservation District, Group 3: William “Bill” DeHart and Brian Dockery
- Polk Indigent Health Care Referendum
LEGISLATIVE
You can verify your districts and generate a sample ballot via the Polk Supervisor of Election website. These are the races involving Lakeland-based districts:
- U.S. House, District 15 (map): Jim Lange, D, and Dennis Ross, R, incumbent
- Florida Senate, District 22 (map): Kelli Stargel, R, incumbent, and Debra Wright, D
- Florida House, District 39 (map): Neil Combee, R, incumbent, and Victor Sims, D
- Florida House, District 40 (map): Colleen Burton, R, incumbent, and Shandale Terrell, D
The Nov. 8 ballot also includes numerous several statewide races, constitutional amendments and judicial retentions. For a full list, check Brinson’s post.