Florida Senate District 28: 2026 Candidates & Ballot

Lauren Uhlich Melo (Republican), David Silverberg (Democratic) are on the November 3 ballot for Florida Senate District 28. Not on the November ballot: Kathleen Passidomo, the sitting member per the roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the August 18 primary or advanced unopposed; minor-party and no-party-affiliation candidates qualify directly for the November ballot. The field is the Florida Division of Elections' certified 2026 General Election candidate list. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.

Lauren Uhlich Melo

Republican

Biography

Lauren Melo currently represents Florida House District 82 and is running for Senate District 28, per her campaign site. She founded a trucking company that grew to more than 100 trucks and now owns and operates a real estate brokerage.

Top Priorities

Protecting Second Amendment rights
Supporting veterans
Cutting bureaucratic red tape to grow the economy

Per the campaign site.

Per the candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-08.

Campaign site

David Silverberg

Democratic

Biography

David Silverberg is a veteran journalist who worked as Editor-at-Large for Armed Forces Journal, Managing Editor for The Hill, and founding editor of Homeland Security Today. Since 2018 he has written as The Paradise Progressive, covering Southwest Florida politics. He is the Democratic candidate for Florida Senate District 28, covering Collier and Hendry counties and eastern Lee County, facing Republican Lauren Uhlich Melo, per Florida Politics.

Campaign site

Questions about this race

Who is running for Florida Senate District 28 in 2026?

2 candidates are tracked for Florida Senate District 28 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Lauren Uhlich Melo and David Silverberg. Candidate information follows official Lee County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Florida Senate District 28 election in Florida?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Florida are on the Florida election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Lee County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.