Florida › Marion County › Marion County School Board District 4
2 candidates are tracked for Marion County School Board District 4, headed to a November 3, 2026 runoff: Mike Mills and Brigitte Smith. Candidate information follows official Marion County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
August 18 result: Mike Mills (37 percent) and Brigitte Smith (31 percent) advance to a November 3 runoff, per unofficial results.
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.
2026 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
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-08-19.
Reported fundraising: $21,925 (county campaign-finance filings).
Campaign site →
Brigitte Smith
Nonpartisan
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.
2026 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
Reported fundraising: $6,960 (county campaign-finance filings).
