Local Realtor and registered nurse Charlene Joyce is a conservative Republican running in Nov. 2026 for the Florida House District 54 seat currently occupied by Rep. Randy Maggard. (Photo by Charmaine George)
Charlene Joyce has filed to run in the Nov. 2026 mid-term elections for the State House District 54 seat which covers parts of Pasco County, including Dade City and some of Wesley Chapel, and is currently held by fellow Republican Randy Maggard.
Charlene is a conservative Republican who lives in Dade City and says she disagrees with legislation Rep. Maggard filed in November to prohibit counties and cities from adopting their own rules related to water quality, wetlands, and pollution control.
“The State House is trying to put more emphasis on [its own] power,” Charlene says, “rather than trying to let the people make the decisions for where they live.”
She says overdevelopment is a big issue, and that Pasco County needs smarter ways to grow. “It shouldn’t take an hour to get somewhere that’s 20 minutes away,” she says.
And, while she says she has nothing personally against Maggard, “God put it on my heart that I need to try to make a change, and make a difference in the lives of others.”
Charlene says it’s important to her to listen to her future constituents, and to maintain the beauty of Pasco County.
“I listen more than I talk,” she says. “I want to ask people questions, [find out] what’s important to them, keeping it grassroots, conservative, and helping others protect their rights as parents and landowners.”
Charlene grew up in Wesley Chapel and is a single mom of two children, ages 6 and 3. She attends Life Church in Wesley Chapel, and says faith is central to her campaign, which she sees as a calling.
She also is a licensed registered nurse and obtained her R.N. degree through Rasmussen College in Tampa in 2018. She is the health care administrator for a residential facility in Hillsborough County for the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), where she cares for female residents, ages 12 to 18.
“One of my pushing points for running was when I started working at DJJ,” she says. “I saw a lot of things that could be implemented through legislation and a lot of loopholes that could be closed.”
For example, she says, while DJJ employees are drug tested before they are hired, there is no Florida statute that requires testing throughout employment.
“I’ve encountered people who came to work smelling like marijuana,” she says, “and that’s unacceptable in a place with youth.”
However, she says, since residential facilities are contracted out to third party providers, they stick closely to legal requirements.
“They do what they have to do,” she says, “but not anything extra, because it’s money out of their pocket.”
She says her experience working with the youth in the facility where she works has been moving. On the weekends, she volunteers there with a team from a ministry called Set Free out of Pinellas County.
For kids who want to participate in the Set Free program, Charlene and the team bring Christian music and Bible teaching. She says she brings hope to the youth in her facility, most of whom have experienced trauma such as physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
“No one is hopeless,” she says. “God always finds a way, letting them know they are loved and valued. It’s so important for a child to thrive and to walk a different path. These children may have made some bad decisions that put them in a position that might alter their lives for the worse, but I want to take that opportunity to change it for the better.”
Charlene also is a licensed real estate agent who obtained her Florida real estate license in 2024.
She says she is looking forward to the election, which will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
For more information about Charlene’s campaign for State House, visit CharleneforStateHouse54.com, or follow her on Facebook or Instagram @CharleneforStateHouse54. She can be contacted at (813) 333-8612. For more info about Charlene’s real estate business, visit CJoyceHomes.com.
District 2 Pasco County Commission candidate Stephanie Vazquez and her family. (All photos for this story were provided by Stephanie Vazquez)
The next election for the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) isn’t until November of 2026, so why is Wesley Chapel resident Stephanie Vazquez already declaring that she is going to run as a Democrat to oppose current Republican District 2 Pasco Commissioner Seth Weightman? Stephanie is the first candidate to throw a hat into the race to unseat Weightman for the Dist. 2 seat. Here’s why:
If you’re unfamiliar with Pasco County government or new to the area, Pasco is divided up into five districts, with District 2 including a large portion (but not all) of Wesley Chapel, as well as about half of Land O’ Lakes, and small (but important) portions of unincorporated Zephyrhills and Lutz.
Vazquez, who has been a resident of District 2 since 2013 (there will be more on this later in this story), moved to our area from Pittsburgh, PA. Like many northerners, she primarily wanted to escape the snow.
With Wesley Chapel being the fastest-growing area of not just Pasco, but also one of the most quickly expanding areas of Florida and the entire nation, Vazquez believes that the time is now for a change in county leadership.
“I’ve thought about running for several years,” she says, adding that even though she’s new to politics, her background has prepared her for leadership and, “The time is now.”
The Right Background, The Right Person
Vazquez currently works as a remote marketing manager for Northeastern University in Boston, MA, but she also is enrolled as an online student at the school, as she is working towards her second Master’s degree, this one in Public Administration, and expects to graduate in 2026. She believes that degree is helping to prepare her for the job she’s now seeking.
She earned her first Master’s degree, for Entrepreneurship in Applied Technologies, in 2016 from the University of South Florida and she previously earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Behavioral Sciences from Bellevue University in Bellevue, NE, in 2010.
But, Vazquez says, her decision to run is about a lot more than just her educational background. Most of her recent work experience, beginning with her service in the U.S. Air Force as a Senior Airman, working in airfield management, both in the states and overseas in Germany, is about public service. When she left the military, she says she wanted to continue fighting, but on two different kinds of battlefields most people never see.
Vazquez (second from left) appearing on “10 News” WTSP-TV as a panelist on a discussion about human trafficking.
The first was her seven-year service as an Advisory Board member for the Post 9/11 Veterans Corp., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that focuses on, “providing a platform, a starting point, and a place of belonging, where veterans are encouraged to integrate into their local communities and inspire through actions.”
The more recent battle was against Human Trafficking. As a vice president of the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking and a Board member of both the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking and the NISSI Project (which provides housing for verified adult female victims of human trafficking) for six years, Vazquez says she helped build these national and local programs to tackle exploitation at its roots: opening a safe house, building recovery programs and training thousands to recognize and stop injustice.
She later honed her public speaking and writing skills while holding a public servant government position as a public information officer for the City of Zephyrhills.
A Campaign Forged By Hard Times
Vazquez says she hasn’t had it easy, explaining that growing up poor helped build her character, not just once, but twice in her life. Born in Flint, MI, her dad was a young Marine veteran who worked part-time at a local drug store while also going to college part-time to try to earn a basic degree. Meanwhile, her mother was a stay-at-home mom, but both of her parents’ families came from generational poverty, so between her dad’s paycheck and essential government services like food stamps, she said it was barely enough to keep them from going hungry.
She remembers growing up having to “do without” most of the time, as her family stretched everything they had, often having to eat the same one meal multiple times in row.
“The most disgusting thing was the powdered milk, mixed with water,” she says, “because real milk was too expensive for us. I can still taste it.”
Years later, Vazquez found herself in a similar situation, just out of a relationship that wasn’t working. As a single mom of three, she moved to Florida, with kids who were 4, 3, and 3 months old. She was unable to afford child care or find a job that paid enough to put them in daycare, so she found herself below the poverty line, receiving government assistance.
“I used to take my kids to Walmart so they could play with toys,” she says, “because we couldn’t afford to buy any.” But, these struggles forced her to develop the ability to get by, and evolve, leaning on her experience from the military. She says that when you’re poor and struggling, “you don’t think about politics, you think about how to survive.” That experience makes her want to stand up for working class families.
“Pasco deserves better than business as usual,” she says. “Our families are paying the price while a handful of insiders cash out. I’m not a politician. I’m a veteran, a mom and a community advocate who believes Pasco should work for the people who live here, not for the powerful few calling all the shots.”
But, why should people vote for her?
“The incumbent was hand-picked by insiders, and swept-in through a closed primary,” Vazquez says, adding that the current commissioners, including her opponent, continue to vote to allow more and more growth, “before the county is ready for it. But, I’m not part of the county political machine, I’m part of this community.”
She says that Weightman was, “a strategically chosen candidate” by the local powers that be. “But, I want clean government, not back-rooms deals, with decisions made in the open, with transparency and accountability.”
Here are the issues Vazquez says her campaign her campaign will be about:
• Fixing broken roads, drainage and outdated storm systems.
• Preparing for future challenges like flooding and climate change.
• Establishing term limits to break the cycle of insider control.
• Curbing reckless growth that strains neighborhoods and schools.
Speaking Of Schools…
She and her husband Yamani Vazquez Martinez have built their life in Pasco, raising a blended family of six children. All of their kids have either graduated from, or currently attend, Pasco’s public schools and Yamani currently is serving as an assistant principal at Cypress Creek Middle School.
Vazquez believes strongly in the power of education, and personally feels that new large-scale developments should be required to include school sites, so that the children living in those communities can go to schools in or near their own neighborhoods, as well as to keep class sizes appropriate and have fewer portable classrooms throughout the district. Vazquez says that overcrowding of classrooms can be avoided through, “proper, thoughtful planning. If the population is increasing, we need to prioritize schools, and developers need to pay their fair share.”
But, speaking of paying their fair share, Vazquez says, “In August 2024, Commissioner Weightman was the only Pasco commissioner to vote against raising school impact fees, which are one of the few ways to hold developers accountable and fund schools as costs rise. He chose developers over Pasco‘s kids.“
Vazquez also has posted a video to her social media opposing House Bill 5101 — legislation that would reduce public school funding statewide. The video, which breaks down the bill’s potential impact on local classrooms, has garnered more than 40,000 views and hundreds of comments from educators, parents and concerned voters.
“I’ve spent years fighting for people who have been overlooked or outright ignored — including our teachers,” Vazquez says. “I didn’t expect the video to take off, but I think it hit a nerve. People are tired of watching public education be gutted while our kids and teachers are left behind.”
She acknowledges that if she was to be elected, there may not be much she can do to directly help increase teacher salaries, which are controlled by the Pasco School Board, but says that helping to fund schools with BCC-controlled development impact fees would be her top priority, with #2 being funding for new and improved roads, and #3 being flood mitigation and drainage projects.
These school issues hit close to home for Vazquez, because Yamani has been an educator for 15 years. Education, administration and school athletics are important to him, as he previously was the head coach of Wiregrass Ranch High’s softball team for eight years.
To Develop Or Not To Develop?
Stephanie Vazquez says it’s time for a change in Pasco County leadership.
Vazquez wants voters to know that she is NOT anti-development. She just wants the BCC to consider three important questions:
“Do we need it? Does it put the people of Pasco first? Are we ready for it?”
She feels that these questions would help the county avoid the “Gold Rush Mentality,” where developers just want to make money and then leave, sticking taxpayers with gridlocked roads, overcrowded schools and neighborhoods that flood with every storm. She says that this type of reckless development, which seems to be running rampant in Pasco, “favors insiders over families. But, enough is enough.”
As for what she envisions District 2 to look like 10 years from now, Vazquez she says that our area already is becoming the hub for health care in Pasco County and should continue to do so, with more new hospitals and medical offices continuing to be added to the local landscape. She sees this medical hub being surrounded by thriving communities, with schools, walkable green spaces and family-centered resources. She also believes that Pasco, and by proxy District 2, as “Florida’s Sports Coast” is a good idea and that she, “would love to see that continue to grow.”
“That would include more year-round sports people can play, facilities that offer good-paying jobs and more options for youth sports programs,” as some in our area (like the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association’s youth baseball and softball programs) can’t handle all of the kids who want to play. She believes that the Wesley Chapel District Park is at maximum capacity, saying that although it’s a great facility, parking and traffic “can be challenging.”
“We need more [sports] options in the District. The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus has been fantastic,” but its primary function is to provide a location for sports tourism. “What we need are more green spaces and fields throughout the area.”
She says that if proposed large-scale developments are unwilling to include parks and school sites in their communities, she would, “Vote No!” She believes that the BCC is responsible for the over-development of Pasco County and Wesley Chapel in particular. “Yes, a lot of people have been moving here, and leadership has been swept up in that,” she says, but the commissioners should have tried harder to control Pasco’s growth.
The Bottom Line? Forget Politics
For Vazquez, this race isn’t really about politics. “It’s personal,” she says. “I’m not backed by big money. I’m not here to make deals behind closed doors. I’m here to fight for every family who feels like their voices have been drowned out. Pasco belongs to all of us, it’s time to take it back.”
She adds, however, that she knows it won’t be an easy fight to win.
“Since there is currently a Republican majority, not only in Pasco County, but in Florida and the Federal Government,” she says, “I know it can feel like we’re just little blue dots in a sea of red, but the truth is, there are more of us than we realize. And I’m not just talking about Democrats. Voters with no party affiliation, independents and even longtime Republicans are starting to move away from the noise and division and toward something better: people over party, progress over politics and community over chaos. We all want the same basics — strong schools, safe neighborhoods and honest leadership. And those aren’t red or blue issues. They’re people issues. Win or lose, I’m proud to be fighting for that.”
When asked about working across the aisle, with an otherwise red majority, Vazquez says that her background proves she’s capable of doing just that. “I worked with (District 1 Commissioner) Ron Oakley successfully for many years when I was with the Pasco County Commission on Human Trafficking. It’s about the work we’re doing and who we’re doing it for.”
She adds, “I listen to everyone, regardless of who they voted for, and what political leanings they have.” In other words, she says, “Many issues are by-and-large nonpartisan,” she says. “So, if you want different, vote for me!”
But, considering that the seat Vazquez is eyeing has not seen Democratic representation yet in this millennium, the stage is set for what could be one of Pasco County’s most closely watched commission races — especially in light of the fact, Vazquez says, that Weightman won his first election, even though he may have been living outside the district in which he was elected, which would be a violation of a Florida Constitution mandate.
“Commissioner Weightman bought a property with a mobile home in District 2 during his campaign, but a lot of people in Pasco say he doesn’t actually live there, and that he still lives at his longtime home in Dade City, which is outside the district. It’s raised real concerns about whether he’s truly representing the community he was elected to serve and that he may be violating residency requirements for holding the seat.”
Meet the Candidate
If you’d like to meet Vazquez, she will officially launch her campaign at a public kickoff event on Tuesday, May 20, 6 p.m., at Meals on Wheels, 38112 15th Ave., Zephyrhills. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m. and attendees are encouraged (but not required) to bring nonperishable food donations to support Meals on Wheels.
At the event, Vazquez said she will have what she describes as a “Vision Board” — not something with her vision, but a blank board where attendees can write how they envision a better Pasco County. “I like public feedback,” she says.
If you’re not able to attend that event but would like to hear Vazquez’s viewpoints and opinions on certain topics, search “Stephanie Vazquez Pasco” on Instagram, where she posts often. Or, scan the QR code (left) to access her campaign kickoff event page.
On January 14, 2025, a special woman passed: Kendra Kay Holden (right photo). If you ever went to the New Tampa Panera Bread, you probably saw Kendra there. Kendra worshiped at St. James United Methodist Church, worked as a teaching assistant at Hunters Green Elementary and served as a Best Buddies Ambassador representing people with intellectual disabilities.
Her obituary read in part: “Kendra loved God, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, Vera Bradley Bags, Sonny’s BBQ, Olive Garden, outlet malls, Christmas movies, Cracker Barrel, unicorns, butterflies, Coke Zero and colorful bands for her Apple Watch.”
Every time I walk into that Panera Bread, I will think of dear Kendra. She was a special child of God.
The Penguin Project
Speaking of those who are differently abled, I recently got to see our friends in The Penguin Project perform their most recent show, “Seussical Jr.”
I can not tell you how proud I am of this group from the New Tampa Players. This effort allows people with intellectual disabilities to take part in a first-rate production play with the help of their artist peers.
I always get emotional seeing the plays – because I think of my brother, Juan, who is intellectually disabled, and how I would see him as a young person at church plays or in the Special Olympics. I am proud of Juan. And I know that the moms and dads in the audience are so proud of their young people participating in the Penguin Project.
I have worked to have Tampa give $150,000 to this special New Tampa project. That is money well spent.
Our Best Values in 33647
Here in New Tampa, we are a diverse community. We are one community of Americans – but with different faiths and cultures. That is New Tampa and that is America.
Go to Arlington National Cemetery and take a look at the graves of our heroes – especially in Section 60. You will find Christian crosses. You will find Stars of David for our Jewish friends. And you will find the crescent moon and star for our Muslim friends.
I will always stand for the idea of the Family of Tampa. That includes the American Jewish family that fled Europe in the 1930s to come to this new country. That includes the refugee Muslim family in New Tampa with anxiety for their loved ones in Afghanistan. That includes members of the Sikh faith, the Hindus, Buddhists, evangelical Protestants and Roman Catholics.
We all do better when we all do better. And we all do better when we all belong. I will stand for that always. I have and will continue to take political “hits” for that ideal gladly — because it is the right thing to do and that is America to me.
My Next Election Plans
I have represented District 7 on the Tampa City Council since 2016, but all good things must come to an end — per the City of Tampa’s Charter. I am term limited out of this office in 2027.
It’s no secret that I love my 33647 constituents. I work hard for you because I see public service as a blessing.
As Neighborhood News editor Gary Nager reported in an online post on Feb. 16, I plan on making a decision soon on what I will do next. That will not, however, include running for Mayor of Tampa. If I choose to try to succeed my dear friend, Florida House District 67 Representative Fentrice Driskell (who has said that her reelection last year will be her final two-year term in office), I will have big shoes to fill.
But, I will do what I have done here locally: work hard, build bridges and fight for what I believe in.
You guys know me well. You know my values. You know my work ethic. And you know not only where I stand, but that I stand.
North Tampa Bay Chamber Breakfast
While introducing District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who was the guest speaker at the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (NTBC)’s monthly Business Breakfast on Feb. 4, NTBC president & CEO Hope Kennedy mentioned that she had heard Viera might be considering a run for Mayor of Tampa.
But (as it says earlier in his column on the previous page), Viera said he was more interested in a run for the District 67 State House seat currently occupied by House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, or a possible Hillsborough County Commission run in 2026.
Since that Feb. 4 meeting, Viera says he has been approached by multiple media outlets about his plans going forward. He also says he is mulling over the possibility of running not only for Driskell’s Dist. 67 State House seat, but also for one of the three County Commission seats up for election in 2026.
“I haven’t made a decision yet,” Viera says. “But, once I announce which of those offices I will choose to run for, I will have to give up my City Council seat before my term ends.”
Even though he is a registered Democrat (City of Tampa elections are all nonpartisan), the 47-year-old Viera also discussed (at the Chamber breakfast) his ability to work with other political office holders — including reaching across the political aisle — in Hillsborough and Pasco counties, as well as with Rep. Driskell, Dist. 20 State Senator Danny Burgess and with Dist. 15 U.S. Congresswoman Laurel Lee.
He also talked about New Tampa’s status as the “Alaska” of the City of Tampa, zip code 33647’s cultural diversity, as well as what he has accomplished in the nine years since winning his first election — by 65 votes in the two-candidate Special Election runoff in Nov. 2016 — over fellow New Tampa resident Dr. Jim Davison.
Among the accomplishments he listed at the breakfast were securing funding to expand the New Tampa Rec Center, add Tampa’s first All- Abilities Park, for Tampa Fire Rescue Station No. 23 on Cross Creek Blvd. (and his ongoing efforts to put an additional fire station in K-Bar Ranch), road repaving in Tampa Palms and for the new park (and possible cricket pitch) in K-Bar Ranch. — Chamber breakfast recap by Gary Nager
District 7 Tampa City Council member and New Tampa resident Luis Viera says he hasn’t made a decision yet, but he is looking at either a State House of Representatives or Hillsborough County Commission run in 2026, before his current City Council term expires in March of 2027.
While introducing Viera, who was the guest speaker at North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce’ (NTBC)’s monthly Business Breakfast on Feb. 4, NTBC president & CEO Hope Kennedy mentioned that she had heard Viera might be considering a run for Mayor of Tampa, but Viera said he was more interested in a run for the District 67 State House seat currently occupied by House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, who will reach her term limit with the Nov. 2026 election.
Since that Feb. 4 meeting, Viera says he has been approached by multiple media outlets about his plans going forward. He says he is mulling over the possibility of running not only for Driskell’s Dist. 67 State House seat, but also for one of the County Commission seats up for election in 2026. “I haven’t made a decision yet,” Viera says. “But, once I announce which of those offices I will choose to run for, I will have to give up my City Council seat before my term ends.”
Even though he is a registered Democrat (City of Tampa elections are all nonpartisan), the 47-year-old Viera also discussed his ability to work with other political office holders — including reaching across the political aisle — in Hillsborough and Pasco counties, as well as with Rep. Driskell, Dist. 20 State Senator Danny Burgess and with Dist. 15 U.S. Congresswoman Laurel Lee. He also talked about New Tampa’s status as the “Alaska” of the City of Tampa, was well as zip code 33647’s cultural diversity, as well as what he has accomplished in the nine years since first winning election — by 65 votes in the two-candidate Special Election runoff in Nov. 2016 — in his first election over fellow New Tampa resident Dr. Jim Davison.
Look for a full recap of Councilman Viera’s Chamber breakfast chat, and more information about his political plans, in the March 4 New Tampa Neighborhood News Issue #5-25.
The Presidential Election Is The Centerpiece But County & State Races & Amendments Also Will Help Shape Life Here
Vice-President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump: Only one can be elected the 47th President of the United States on Tuesday, November 5. (Photo: Associated Press)
On Tuesday, November 5, voters across the U.S. will elect a new President and Vice-President. And, while there are other candidates on the ballot, there’s no doubt that either current Vice-President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump will be elected the 47th president of the U.S., and their respective running mates — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz or Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance — will become our next Vice-President.
Yes, the election will be historic no matter who wins. Harris would be the first woman, the first Black woman and the first person of Indian descent to ascend to our country’s highest office.
Trump would be the first President since Grover Cleveland (who won in 1884 and 1892, after losing in 1888, despite winning the popular vote) and the second in history to regain the office after losing his first attempt at a second term. And, no matter what you think about his trial for falsifying business records, Trump also would be the only convicted felon to become President.
But, while this election also comes at one of the most volatile times in our nation’s history — with wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East, the very real threat of Chinese aggression against Taiwan and Republicans and Democrats pointing fingers at each other for the myriad of problems we face domestically — there is little doubt that this will be one of the most hotly contested Presidential elections in history.
And, while that’s actually a good thing, because it likely means that more people will be casting ballots than ever before — probably surpassing the record 155+ million who cast ballots in 2020 — it also probably means that all of the candidates down-ballot, from U.S. Senator to local Community Development District races, can expect larger-than-usual voting numbers, too.
Yes, some people will only vote in the Presidential race while others will vote in every race except for President, but for anyone who cares about life not only in our country but in our state and local communities, this is an opportunity to truly let your voice be “heard.”
And, with super-controversial State Constitutional Amendments — including abortion rights and recreational marijuana — also on the Nov. 5 ballot, the hope here is that local voters will look beyond the non-stop TV ads on those issues and try to read the texts of those amendments (difficult though it may be) to decide what you truly think is the right thing to do with your vote.
If that feels like a lot of pressure to you, just imagine what all of the candidates on your ballot (see pages 4-5) are feeling right now as they come down to this election’s home stretch.
Speaking of which, Vote by Mail ballots were sent out beginning on Oct. 3 and are due back by no later than 7 p.m. on Election Day. The Early Voting period begins on Monday, October 21, and runs through Sunday, November 3, and the New Tampa Regional Library (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.) is the closest Early Voting site for pretty much everyone who lives in zip code 33647, although the Victor Crist Community Center Complex (at 14013 N. 22nd St.) is a reasonable alternative Early Voting site for some of you.
The deadline to register to vote in this election was Oct. 7, so if you’re not already registered to vote in Hillsborough County, you will not be able to cast a ballot here in this election.
I also encourage you to know your polling place. If you don’t know where you are supposed to vote on Election Day, visit VoteHillsborough.govto find out.
Please note that what appears above and below represents the entire sample ballot for voters who live in New Tampa.
In addition to the Presidential election, the national races being contested that you have the ability to help decide are:
U.S. Senator – Incumbent Republican Rick Scott vs. Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell , Libertarian candidate Feena Bonoan and two candidates with No Party Affiliation (Tuan TQ Nguyen & Ben Everidge)
Dist. 15 U.S. Congress – Incumbent Rep. Laurel Lee vs. Dem. Pat Kemp
State Races on this year’s ballot include:
State Attorney, 13th Judicial Circuit – Appointed incumbent Rep. Suzy Lopez vs. Dem. Andrew Warren
State Senator, Dist. 23 – Incumbent Rep. Danny Burgess vs. Dem. Ben Braver & Independent John Houman
State Representative, Dist. 67 – Incumbent Dem. Fentrice Driskell vs. Rep. Rico Smith
Hillsborough County races on the ballot:
Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller – Incumbent Dem. Cindy Stuart vs. Rep. Victor Crist
Property Appraiser – Incumbent Dem. Bob Henriquez vs. Rep. John Ballance
Supervisor of Elections – Incumbent Dem. Craig Latimer vs, Rep. Billy Christensen
County Commissioner, Dist. 2 – Incumbent Rep. Ken Hagan vs. Patricia Altagracia Alonzo
County Commissioner, Dist. 6 – Rep. Chris Boles vs. Dem. Sean Shaw
Justice of the Supreme Court – Shall Justice Renatha Francis be retained?
Justice of the Supreme Court – Shall Justice Meredith Sasso be retained?
District Court of Appeal – Shall Judge Anthony K. Black be retained?
District Court of Appeal – Shall Judge Edward C. LaRose be retained?
District Court of Appeal – Shall Judge Susan H. Rothstein-Youakim be retained?
School Board Member, Dist. 7 (runoff) – Incumbent Lynn Gray vs. Karen Bendorf
Soil & Water Conservation District – Group 4 – Tyler Barrett vs. David Maynard
State Constitutional Amendments on the ballot include: No. 1 – Partisan Election of Members of District School Boards; No. 2 – Right to Fish & Hunt; No. 3 – Adult Personal Use of Marijuana; No. 4 – Limit Government Interference with Abortion; No. 5 – Annual Adjustments to the Value of Certain Homestead Exemptions; No. 6 – Repeal of Public Campaign Financing Requirement
Hillsborough County Referendum: No. 1 – Renewal of Community Investment 1/2-cent Sales Tax through Dec. 31, 2041; No. 2 – The School Board of Hillsborough County Millage Election for Public School Students
Local Community Development District (CDD) Races (not shown on these Sample Ballots):
Cory Lake Isles CDD, Seat 2 – Juan Jose Aliaga vs. Prasad Yealuru
Tampa Palms OST CDD, Seat 4 – Louis Hector De Armas, Jr. vs. Brad van Rooyen
Tampa Palms OST CDD, Seat 5 – Bob Lennon vs. Ram Ramadoss
