Duval County Voter Guide 2026

Matt Lufrano is an attorney in private practice since 2014 and a former assistant public defender, board certified in criminal trial law by The Florida Bar with more than 80 jury trials to verdict, per Ballotpedia.

Raised $301,375 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Latoya Williams Shelton is an attorney who heads the Jacksonville firm Latoya Williams Shelton PA, with a law degree from Florida A&M, per her campaign site and firm website.

Priorities: Fairness and impartiality in judicial decisions, per her campaign site · Steady leadership with a calm temperament, per her campaign site · Integrity, preparation, and professionalism, per her campaign site

Raised $121,787.13 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Octavius A. Holliday Jr. is a prosecutor with the 4th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office who has directed its Human Rights Division and Community Crime Strategies Unit, with a law degree from the University of Florida, per his campaign site.

Priorities: Balanced, fair judicial decision-making, per his campaign site · Building public trust in the courts, per his campaign site · Community safety and equity in the justice system, per his campaign site

Raised $17,916.96 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Marquita H. Green is an attorney with 25 years of public service, including work as a general magistrate, Low Bono Director at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, and child welfare attorney with Florida DCF, per her campaign site.

Priorities: Mentoring and community engagement with youth and vulnerable populations, per her campaign site

Raised $14,762 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Melina Buncome is an attorney with nearly 30 years of courtroom experience as a public defender in the Fourth Judicial Circuit, including service as a felony division chief, per her campaign site.

Priorities: Fair and impartial application of the law, per her campaign site · Treatment-focused specialty courts for veterans, mental health, and drug cases, per her campaign site · Access to justice through legal aid and youth mentorship, per her campaign site

Raised $12,350 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Donovan Bradley is a Jacksonville native with an educational policy background and the son of a 30-year schoolteacher, per News4Jax and his campaign site.

Priorities: School safety, including fixing crossing guard shortages, per his campaign site · Expanding school choice options, per his campaign site · Paid, credit-bearing internships for high schoolers, per his campaign site

Raised $53,101 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Donna Mae Westrich is a public school educator with more than 20 years of classroom experience, per her campaign site and News4Jax.

Priorities: Competitive pay and sustainable workloads for educators, per her campaign site · Making Duval schools an attractive choice through parent engagement, per her campaign site · Transparent, classroom-first budgeting, per her campaign site

Raised $9,936.02 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Terence Lavele Myers is an educator with 18 years across elementary, secondary, and adult education, per News4Jax.

Priorities: More resources for students with disabilities, per News4Jax · Highlighting high-performing schools, per News4Jax · Teacher support, per News4Jax

Raised $2,263.65 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Rhodesia Butler is a retired Duval County Public Schools educator and 35-year business owner who has worked with the Boys and Girls Club, per News4Jax.

Priorities: School safety, per News4Jax · Teacher retention, per News4Jax · Career and workforce education expansion, per News4Jax

Raised $12,071.08 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Alfreda Denson Butler is a varying exceptionalities lead teacher with more than 30 years of experience, per News4Jax.

Priorities: Student achievement, per News4Jax · Teacher recruitment and retention, per News4Jax · School safety, per News4Jax

Raised $10,103.5 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

James Jacobs is dean of students at Duval Charter School at Westside, with prior experience as a paraprofessional, truancy officer, ESE assistant, and PE teacher, per News4Jax.

Priorities: Teacher retention, per News4Jax · Student retention, per News4Jax · Higher pay for educators and coaches, per News4Jax

Raised $8,203 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Gracie Bell Kearse-McCastler is a 33-year Duval County educator, a former teacher and assistant principal, per News4Jax.

Priorities: Addressing the school-to-prison pipeline, per News4Jax · Reducing disciplinary referrals among minority students, per News4Jax

Raised $500 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Clarence James is a retired Jacksonville Sheriff's Office lieutenant with over 20 years of service, now a sergeant with the Duval County School Police and a former Florida House legislative staffer, per his campaign site and News4Jax.

Priorities: Budget transparency and contract reviews, per his campaign site · Fully fund the district police department, per his campaign site · Improve literacy and graduation rates, per his campaign site

Raised $100,637.43 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Lindsey Denmark is a licensed realtor of 15 years, a former municipal-infrastructure grant consultant, and a children's ministry director, per her campaign site and News4Jax.

Priorities: Safe and orderly schools, per her campaign site · Early literacy intervention and strong academics, per her campaign site and News4Jax · A fiscal audit and responsible stewardship, per her campaign site and News4Jax

Raised $86,688 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Michelle Petty is a Florida registered paralegal and an 11-year School Advisory Council member, currently SAC chair at Baldwin Middle-Senior High, per News4Jax.

Priorities: Budget transparency and reform, per News4Jax · Curriculum improvements, per News4Jax · Safety concerns around school consolidations, per News4Jax

Raised $4,220 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Robert Stafford is a Navy veteran and retired logistician and engineer with a roughly 38-year Jacksonville career, and the NAACP representative on the district's sales surtax oversight committee, per News4Jax and his campaign site.

Priorities: Fiscal responsibility with transparency, per his campaign site · Safe learning environments, per his campaign site · Strong parent-school partnerships, per his campaign site

Raised $3,360 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Tammyette Thomas is an educator, business owner, and healthcare professional with more than 20 years in education and workforce development, including running her own vocational school and teaching at the college level, per her campaign site.

Priorities: Supporting teachers with resources and respect, per her campaign site · Raising academic achievement across District 6, per her campaign site · Career and workforce readiness programs, per her campaign site

Raised $1,950 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Charlotte Joyce is a Board Member for District 6 on the Duval County Public School Board, first elected in 2018. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of North Florida and previously worked as a Magnet Coordinator at Joseph Stilwell Jr. High School, bringing an educator's perspective to the board. In her first term, she advocated for fiscal accountability and transparency.

Darryl Willie is a member of the Duval County Public School Board, representing District 4 in Florida, a position he assumed in 2019. He earned a B.S. from North Carolina State University and an M.Ed. from the University of Georgia, and has worked as a director of district and community partnerships with Teach for America since 2011.

Priorities: Holding himself accountable for the success of every student · Creating clear and consistent communication structures that inform and engage students, parents, and families · Providing more innovation and preparation