Duval County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026

August 18 result: no candidate won a majority, so Octavius A. Holliday Jr. (37 percent) and Melina Buncome (33 percent) advance to a November 3 runoff, per News4JAX. Results are unofficial until the county canvass.

• Octavius A. Holliday, Jr.▾

  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

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• Melina Buncome▾

  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

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August 18 result: Donovan Bradley led with 49 percent but fell short of a majority, so he and Donna Mae Westrich (39 percent) advance to a November 3 runoff, per News4JAX.

• Donovan Bradley▾

  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

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• Donna Mae Westrich▾

  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

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August 18 result: James Jacobs (39 percent) and Rhodesia Butler (35 percent) advance to a November 3 runoff, per News4JAX. Results are unofficial until the county canvass.

• Rhodesia "Rho" Butler▾

  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

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• James "Coach" Jacobs▾

  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 · Write-In▾

  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

August 18 result: Lindsey Denmark (33 percent) and Clarence James (21 percent) advance to a November 3 runoff, per News4JAX. Results are unofficial until the county canvass.

• Clarence "CJ" James▾

  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

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• Lindsey Denmark▾

  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

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• Charlotte Joyce▾

  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.

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• Darryl Willie▾

  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

  Campaign site →