The Ballot Brief
Manatee County, Florida

Florida House District 71

See where Fitts, Hoolihan and Varnadore stand on housing and the budget. Names follow official Manatee County election filings. Certified results will appear here once the election office certifies the count. Florida certifies the general election by November 17, 2026; county canvasses are due November 16. Official results: floridaelectionwatch.gov.

About this race

Ocean Fitts (Democratic), Joseph Hoolihan (No Party Affiliation), Jordan Varnadore (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Florida House District 71. Not on the November ballot: William Cloud "Will" Robinson Jr., 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.

What this office does

State legislator. State legislators write and vote on state laws and the state budget, which fund schools, roads, prisons, universities and health programs, and set the rules for local governments and elections. Each member represents one district and serves on committees that shape bills before a floor vote. Terms are two years in most state houses and four in most state senates.

This race. Elected by district: only voters who live in the district see this race on their ballot.

This list comes from official election records but may be incomplete. It can miss, for example, late or petition candidates and some city, school and district races. Your official sample ballot is the final word.

We use AI to research and write election information. Errors are possible. Verify important details with official sources.

Florida › Manatee County › Florida House District 71

Who won? The official answer comes November 17.

Florida makes results final in three steps.
✓
Done · Nov 3
Votes were cast and counted
Election night totals are a first count, not the final one.
2
Happening now · by Nov 16
Manatee County double-checks its count
The county reviews mail ballots, provisional ballots and any recount, then sends official totals to the state.
3
Next · Nov 17
Florida makes it official
The Elections Canvassing Commission certifies the result. The winner appears on this page that day.

What local news is reporting

Not official yetUpdated November 5, 2026

This report is cited to the outlet that published it. We do not call races. Official running count: Florida official results.

Florida House District 71
No report found yet

Reports are checked daily until Florida certifies on November 17; a certified winner replaces the report on that day.

Ocean Fitts

Democratic

Top priorities

From other published sources

  • Improving affordability for Manatee County residents, per The Bradenton Times
  • Strengthening government accountability, per The Bradenton Times
Biography

Ocean Fitts is a candidate for Florida House District 71 in Manatee County, per the campaign site. Fitts was raised by great-grandparents in St. Petersburg after moving from Chicago at age five, and is studying Public Policy and Administration at St. Petersburg College, per the campaign site. Fitts paused college during the pandemic to help care for a great-grandmother living with dementia before returning to finish the degree, per the campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Joseph Hoolihan

No Party Affiliation

Biography

Joseph Hoolihan is a Bradenton real estate professional and business consultant with more than 20 years of experience in sales, customer service and business development, according to the Bradenton Times. He is running for Florida House District 71 with no party affiliation.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Jordan Varnadore

Republican

Biography

Jordan Varnadore is the Republican candidate for Florida House District 71, per his campaign site. He is a lifelong, multi-generational resident of Palmetto in Manatee County and a graduate of Palmetto High School, per his campaign site. Varnadore serves as Vice President of Marketing at GarrettRichard, a family business he co-founded with his father, per his campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)
Next on the ballotFlorida House District 72

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Voting info and more

Voting info and more
Questions about this race

Who is running for Florida House District 71 in 2026?

3 candidates were tracked for Florida House District 71 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Ocean Fitts, Joseph Hoolihan and Jordan Varnadore. Candidate information follows official Manatee County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below. See where they stand on housing and the budget.

When is the Florida House District 71 election in Florida?

Election Day was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Certified results will appear on this page as the election office certifies them. Florida certifies the general election by November 17, 2026; county canvasses are due November 16. Official results: https://floridaelectionwatch.gov/. Voting rules for Florida are on the Florida election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Manatee 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.

Who won the Florida House District 71 race?

Not yet reported by the outlets we checked; Florida certifies on November 17. We do not call races.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Manatee County Supervisor of Elections filings, last verified October 15, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Florida election office, or see the full Manatee County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Manatee County ballot

12 tracked races in Manatee County, Florida. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on the November 3 ballot
Manatee County Commissioner District 1Manatee County Commissioner District 2Manatee County Commissioner District 4See all 12 Manatee County races
Candidate profiles
Ocean Fitts, full profileJoseph Hoolihan, full profileJordan Varnadore, full profileOfficial Florida election office