Marion County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026

August 18 primary result: Mike Crimi won the closed Republican primary with 45 percent over Matt Cretul and Brien Weidemiller, per unofficial results, and faces only the write-in line on the November 3 ballot.

• Mike Crimi · Republican▾

  Medical professional and business owner with 30 years combined experience who operates one of the largest employers in south Marion County; U.S. Army veteran and former firefighter/paramedic with a master's degree from the University of Florida, per his VOTE411 profile.

  Priorities: Cut waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars across county departments, per VOTE411 · Stronger enforcement of concurrency so major developments cannot proceed without transportation, utility and public-safety capacity, per Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A · Proactive, data-driven infrastructure management with a unified 5-10 year capital plan and growth paying through impact fees, per Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A

  Raised $160,864 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

  Campaign site →

August 18 primary result: Jeff Bairstow won the closed Republican primary with 39 percent over Sherri Meadows, Randall Alvord and Wanda Lasher, per unofficial results, and faces only the write-in line on the November 3 ballot.

• Jeff Bairstow · Republican▾

  28.5-year veteran of the Ocala Police Department and business owner of 10 years; a native Marion Countian with eight generations of family roots, per his VOTE411 profile (which lists incumbency as 'No').

  Priorities: 'ROADS BEFORE ROOFTOPS' - require developers to pay their fair share through full impact fees, per VOTE411 · Prioritize core services and eliminate wasteful spending, per VOTE411 · Responsible growth that pays its own way with an infrastructure-first approach, per Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A

  Raised $38,006 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

  Campaign site →

DECIDED August 18: incumbent Eric Cummings was reelected outright with 56 percent over Steve Swett, per unofficial results. This race will not appear on the November 3 ballot.

• Eric R. CummingsIncumbent▾

  Pastor (styled 'Rev.' by the Ocala Gazette) who has served on the Marion County School Board since 2018; holds a PhD plus master's and bachelor's degrees in theology and business administration, per his VOTE411 profile.

  Priorities: Attract and retain great teachers with competitive pay, mentoring and reduced paperwork, per VOTE411 · Community engagement - 'the best leaders spend more time listening than talking,' per VOTE411 · Student-first decision-making: 'What's best for our students?', per VOTE411

  Raised $9,904 · per Supervisor of Elections filings
• Steve Swett▾

  Retired U.S. Postal Service manager and former Dunnellon postmaster (34 years per the Ocala Gazette; 36 years per his VOTE411 profile); Vietnam-era Air Force veteran with a public administration degree from Florida International University. He lost to Cummings in the 2022 primary.

  Priorities: Back to educational fundamentals - 'reading, writing, arithmetic' with phonics-based early literacy, per Ocala Gazette · Restore dignity, respect and institutional support for teachers, including merit pay and classroom authority, per VOTE411 · Fiscal accountability and hands-on oversight of a district he says 'is not performing well and has not for over a decade,' per VOTE411

  Raised $4,244 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

August 18 result: Mike Mills (37 percent) and Brigitte Smith (31 percent) advance to a November 3 runoff, per unofficial results.

• Mike Mills▾

  Owner of Symmetry Coffee Company in Ocala, U.S. Navy veteran (nuclear machinist mate, 2010-2017) and adjunct business professor at the College of Central Florida with an MBA from Florida Atlantic University; past Education Foundation president, per the Ocala Gazette and VOTE411. Running for the open seat vacated by Nancy Thrower.

  Priorities: Student outcomes across all pathways - students should be 'highly educated, happy and healthy,' per Ocala Gazette · Expand Career and Technical Education and trade programs, including military service as a post-graduation option, per Ocala Gazette · Audit program productivity and reallocate spending from programs without return on investment, per VOTE411

  Raised $21,925 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

  Campaign site →
• Brigitte Smith▾

  Registered nurse with 35 years of operating room/trauma experience, U.S. Army Nurse Corps veteran, and chairwoman of the Marion County Republican Executive Committee who serves on the county textbook review committee, per the Ocala Gazette and VOTE411. Running for the open seat vacated by Nancy Thrower.

  Priorities: Cut wasteful spending and redirect resources to math, reading and graduation rates, per Ocala Gazette · School safety, including increased Sheriff's Office oversight and zero-tolerance discipline, per Ocala Gazette · Build a culture where teachers feel protected, heard and valued, with strategic recruitment and retention funds, per VOTE411

  Raised $6,960 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

August 18 result: incumbent Sarah James (49 percent) fell short of a majority and meets Donny Barber (35 percent) in a November 3 runoff, per unofficial results.

• Donald "Donny" Barber▾

  City manager of Archer, Florida; chairs the Marion County Board of Adjustments and the Citra Community Center, and formerly served as Public Works & Utilities Administrator for Williston, per the Ocala Gazette and VOTE411.

  Priorities: Safer schools, per Ocala Gazette and VOTE411 · Responsible finances - redirect funds from 'administrative bloat' toward teacher compensation, per VOTE411 · Improved student performance with fundamentals, career pathways and accountability, per VOTE411

  Raised $7,847 · per Supervisor of Elections filings
• Sarah JamesIncumbent▾

  Incumbent school board member (four years) and current board chair; former teacher and school administrator with a doctorate in educational leadership who owns two preschools generating about $1.5 million annually, per the Ocala Gazette and VOTE411.

  Priorities: Recruiting and retaining staff, including fixing pay compression for experienced teachers, per Ocala Gazette and VOTE411 · Student-centered budgeting and planning for district growth, per Ocala Gazette · Expanding vocational opportunities, per Ocala Gazette

  Raised $41,100 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Nonpartisan race on Marion County's August 18, 2026 ballot, per the Supervisor of Elections' official qualified-candidate list. A majority winner is elected in August; otherwise the top two advance to the November 3 ballot.

• Deborah A. Edwards▾

  No information found. This race does not appear in the Ocala Gazette qualifying roundup or the VOTE411 Florida race index, and the Marion County Supervisor of Elections site could not be fetched.
• Vivi Serena▾

  No information found. This race does not appear in the Ocala Gazette qualifying roundup or the VOTE411 Florida race index, and the Marion County Supervisor of Elections site could not be fetched.