Who is running in Pinellas County, Florida in 2026
- County Commissioner, District 2 (At Large)
- Tim Hughes and Brian Scott
- County Commissioner, District 6
- David Glenn Jr. and Kathleen Peters
- School Board, District 3 (At Large)
- Curtis Campogni and Dawn Peters
- St. Petersburg Mayor
- Kenneth T. Welch and Charlie Crist
- St. Petersburg City Council, District 2
- Courtney Bermudez and Gabriel Hament
- St. Petersburg City Council, District 6
- Linsey Grove and Trevor Mallory
- Clearwater City Council, Seat 5
- Mark Bunker and Sam Wilson
- Largo City Commission, Seat 2
- Matthew Faustini and Curtis A. Holmes
- U.S. Senator
- Angie Nixon, Ashley Moody and Neil J. Gillespie
- Governor and Lieutenant Governor
- David Jolly and Byron Donalds
- Attorney General
- Jose Javier Rodriguez and James Uthmeier
- Chief Financial Officer
- Annette Taddeo and Blaise Ingoglia
- Commissioner of Agriculture
- Joey Mendoza Atkins and Wilton Simpson
- U.S. Representative, District 13
- Leela Gray, Anna Paulina Luna and Tony D'Arrigo
- U.S. Representative, District 16
- Kelly Kirschner, Sydney Gruters and Mark Davis
- State Senator, District 18
- Karla Kemp and Nick DiCeglie
- State Senator, District 21
- Jordan Hensley and Chris Nocco
- State Representative, District 57
- Wendy Hoy and Adam C. Anderson
- State Representative, District 58
- Bryan Beckman and Kimberly "Kim" Berfield
- State Representative, District 59
- Susan Rochelle Leff and Berny Jacques
- State Representative, District 60
- Lindsay Polega-Quigley and Melissa Rutland
- State Representative, District 61
- May Thach and Linda Chaney
Pinellas County
County commission races are partisan. The seven commissioners set the county budget and property tax rate and decide land use in unincorporated Pinellas. Only two seats are contested this year.
County Commissioner, District 2 (At Large)
Vote for oneTim Hughes
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratSpent 20 years in stormwater work and is running on flooding: fix watersheds as a whole, make developments answer for runoff, and repair sewer lines that overflow in storms. Wants old mobile home parks redeveloped as affordable condos. Endorsed by the Pinellas County Democratic Party.
Sources: Campaign site, Activate Pinellas
Brian Scott
Not enough info RepublicanRuns his family's charter bus company and, as chair, backed the county's first property tax rate cut in seven years. We found nothing on his character or ties beyond that.
Sources: Pinellas County, Campaign site
County Commissioner, District 6
Vote for oneTwo decent candidates. Peters has the longer record; the pick goes to Glenn as the Democrat, per our tie rule.
David Glenn Jr.
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratWants a county nuisance ordinance to deal with chronic code violators, problem short-term rentals and drug houses. Endorsed by the Stonewall Democrats of Pinellas County and the county chapter of the Democratic Environmental Caucus.
Sources: Campaign site, Patch, Stonewall Democrats
Kathleen Peters
Seems like good people RepublicanHas led the county's push to fix its mental health and addiction system. In May 2026 she moved to block large data centers in Pinellas over how much water they use for cooling.
Sources: Wikipedia, St. Pete Catalyst, WUSF
Special districts
Not profiledAlso on some ballots, and not rated: East Lake Tarpon Special Fire Control District, Seat 2 (Jim Downes, Bob Fornwalt); Palm Harbor Special Fire Control and Rescue District, Seat 2 (Benjamin Nichols, Julie Peluso); Pinellas Suncoast Fire and Rescue District, Seat 2 (Elizabeth "Betsey" McKenna, Daniel Mynsberge); and Eastlake Oaks Community Development District, Seat 2 (Joshua Main, J.R. "Nick" Yagnik).
School board
School board races are nonpartisan. Only District 3, an at-large seat every county voter decides, is on the November ballot.
School Board, District 3 (At Large)
Vote for oneCurtis Campogni
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)Endorsed by the Pinellas teachers' and support staff unions. Running on school safety, teacher pay that keeps up with the cost of living, smaller classes and openness about possible school closures, and says school boards should stay nonpartisan.
Sources: WUSF, Campaign site
Dawn Peters
Not good people RepublicanEndorsed by Moms for Liberty. In 2022 the Tampa Bay Times found social media posts where she took the QAnon oath, called the 2020 election "Trump 2Q2Q" and shared posts calling 9/11, the moon landings and COVID hoaxes.
Sources: WUSF, Tampa Bay Times
St. Petersburg elections
City races are nonpartisan. The city's bond and charter questions are in the Propositions section below.
Mayor
Vote for oneKenneth T. Welch
Compromised (best choice in this race) DemocratPoints to more affordable housing and sustainability work in his first term. Critics fault the city's cleanup after Hurricanes Helene and Milton and the collapse of the Tropicana Field stadium deal with the Rays. Endorsed by the firefighters, SEIU, Equality Florida and the Suncoast Police Benevolent Association.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Fox 13, Equality Florida, Crow's Nest
Charlie Crist
Compromised DemocratRunning on affordability and a better storm response. His campaign and its political committee took large donations from Tallahassee lobbyists tied to Duke Energy while the city weighs starting its own power utility.
Sources: Ballotpedia, WUSF, Florida Trib
City Council, District 2
Vote for oneOpen seat. Council member Brandi Gabbard is term-limited. Both look like decent people; we give Bermudez the edge for her specific housing and utility plans.
Courtney Bermudez
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)Wants affordable housing written into development contracts "in perpetuity" and backs the push to replace Duke Energy with a city-owned utility. Also running on stormwater and housing stability.
Sources: CityVerse
Gabriel Hament
Seems like good peopleWorks as a public defender and once served on the Sarasota County Schools financial advisory committee. Has not held elected office.
Sources: Gateway District, Campaign site
City Council, District 6
Vote for oneOpen seat. Council member Gina Driscoll is leaving.
Linsey Grove
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) ProgressiveWas vice chair of the county Charter Review Commission. Endorsed by SEIU Florida, Florida Rising, the Sierra Club, the Stonewall Democrats and the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.
Sources: St. Pete Catalyst, Victory Fund
Trevor Mallory
Compromised DemocratServed on the city's affordable housing advisory committee and wants to help residents buy homes and avoid foreclosure. Endorsed by the Suncoast Police Benevolent Association, outgoing council member Gina Driscoll and former Mayor Rick Kriseman.
Sources: Campaign site, Tampa Bay Times
Clearwater elections
City races are nonpartisan.
City Council, Seat 5
Vote for oneMark Bunker
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)A longtime critic of the Church of Scientology's grip on downtown Clearwater, and says plainly that's why he is running. On the council he voted for a 5-cent gas tax increase, a utility rate hike and property tax rates above rollback.
Sources: Wikipedia, Tampa Bay Beacons, Tidings
Sam Wilson
Compromised RepublicanRuns the local office of Rep. Luna, a close Trump ally, and sits on the city housing authority board. We found little else on his own views.
Sources: Tampa Bay Times
Largo elections
City races are nonpartisan. Largo voters also decide one charter question, listed under Propositions.
City Commission, Seat 2
Vote for oneMatthew Faustini
Seems like good people (best choice in this race)Opposed the city's 30-year franchise deal with Duke Energy, saying residents would pay for it in higher bills. In June 2026 he objected when staff nearly dropped the city's Pride Month proclamation.
Sources: Tampa Bay Beacons, Tampa Bay Beacons
Curtis A. Holmes
Not good peopleIn 2014 the commission drew up a censure resolution after sexually suggestive videos, anti-Muslim cartoons and partisan material turned up on his city-issued iPad. Voted in June 2026 for the 30-year Duke Energy deal.
Sources: Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Bay Beacons
State and federal
Pinellas is split between two congressional districts, two state senate districts and five state house districts on this ballot, so check your sample ballot to see which are yours. Retention votes for four Second District Court of Appeal judges are also on the ballot and not rated here.
U.S. Senator
Vote for oneAshley Moody was appointed in January 2025 to fill Marco Rubio's vacated seat.
Angie Nixon
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratRunning on the idea that health care, child care and housing are human rights, and won the August primary in an upset over Alexander Vindman. A member of the Democratic Socialists of America, endorsed by Reps. Maxwell Frost, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley.
Sources: The 19th, The Guardian, Wikipedia
Ashley Moody
Not good people RepublicanAs attorney general she joined the Texas lawsuit to throw out the 2020 presidential results in four swing states. On taking her Senate seat she promised to "fight for President Trump to deliver the America First agenda on Day 1."
Sources: Wikipedia, PBS NewsHour, WUSF
Neil J. Gillespie
Not enough info No partyRunning on overhauling the courts, border security and weakening the two-party system. He has filed many lawsuits of his own, including against The Florida Bar.
Sources: PantherNOW, Campaign blog
Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Vote for oneOpen seat. Also on the ballot: Scott Eckhard Jewett and Nicole Skelly (Libertarian), and five no-party tickets: Charles Burkett and Ruben A. Coto, Frank J. Russo and Rachel Rodriguez, Moliere "Moe" Dimanche and Benjiman Rojas, Dean Ocean Abrams and Joe Van Vactor, and Jeffrey Peter "Dr. Jeff" Datto and Juan Santana.
David Jolly
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratLeft the Republican Party and spent years as a TV analyst criticizing Trump and MAGA. Running on property insurance reform, more money for public schools and a pause on AI data centers, and opposes Amendment 3 because sheriffs and cities fear losing public safety money.
Sources: Wikipedia, Campaign site, WESH 2
Byron Donalds
Not good people RepublicanEndorsed by Donald Trump and JD Vance. Running on the Amendment 3 property tax cuts and school choice.
Sources: Wikipedia, WESH 2, Campaign site
Attorney General
Vote for oneJose Javier Rodriguez
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratPromises to be "an independent-minded enforcer of the law, not a hyper-political hack servant of the powerful." Lost his Senate seat in 2020 by 32 votes after an illegal "ghost candidate" scheme siphoned votes from him; endorsed by firefighters, teachers and the Florida AFL-CIO.
Sources: DAGA, Campaign site, Ballotpedia
James Uthmeier
Not good people RepublicanHelped run the 2022 flights that took migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard. A 2026 grand jury found $10 million in Medicaid settlement money was misappropriated through the Hope Florida Foundation and named him, then the governor's chief of staff, as the center of it. It charged no one.
Sources: American Immigration Council, CBS News, WUSF
Chief Financial Officer
Vote for oneAnnette Taddeo
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratSays "Florida needs a watchdog, not a lapdog for the governor," and promises public report cards grading insurers on payouts and claim denials. Criticizes the no-bid contracts and daily costs at the "Alligator Alcatraz" detention camp.
Sources: Campaign site, WFSU, WLRN
Blaise Ingoglia
Compromised RepublicanAs CFO he launched audits of local government spending, including on diversity programs. Opponents fault him for running millions in taxpayer-funded ads during election season and for not auditing the roughly $1 billion spent on the Everglades immigration detention site.
Sources: Florida Trib, Wikipedia
Commissioner of Agriculture
Vote for oneJoey Mendoza Atkins
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratHas given legal help to migrant farmworkers and DACA recipients, and is running to keep farmland from being turned into data centers and to bring grocery costs down.
Sources: Sparker's Soapbox, Campaign site
Wilton Simpson
Not good people RepublicanPassed the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act as Senate president, a real conservation win. Endorsed by Trump, DeSantis and dozens of sheriffs.
Sources: Wikipedia, Campaign video
Constitutional amendments and Supreme Court retention
Yes or noWe describe what each amendment does and don't make recommendations. A Florida constitutional amendment needs 60% yes to pass.
- Amendment 1: Lets the state keep up to 25% of general revenue in its rainy-day fund (the budget stabilization fund), up from 10%. The Legislature would have to put in $750 million a year, or whatever it takes to reach 25%, unless certain conditions are met, and could pull money out for critical state needs.
- Amendment 2: Exempts equipment and other tangible personal property on agricultural land from property tax, when it is used for farming or agritourism and owned by the landowner or leaseholder. Starts in 2027.
- Amendment 3: Raises the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then adjusts it for inflation, and lets counties and cities go as high as the full value of the home. People who move to Florida after December 31, 2026 get the bigger exemption only from their fifth year. It also cuts the yearly cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property from 10% to 5%, and limits what counties and cities can spend property taxes on (public safety, schools, infrastructure, natural resources, debt, pensions, and operations). Takes effect January 1, 2027.
- Supreme Court: Justice Carlos G. Muñiz is up for a yes-or-no retention vote. We haven't profiled him.
U.S. Representative, District 13
Vote for oneLeela Gray
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratWon the Democratic primary with about 65% of the vote. Says ICE has a legitimate job but must answer to due process and Congress. Endorsed by EMILY's List, VoteVets and the DCCC.
Sources: EMILY's List, VoteVets, News From the States
Anna Paulina Luna
Not good people RepublicanA close Trump ally with his endorsement, she ran on finishing the border wall, ending DACA and bringing back Remain in Mexico. Voted for the "Big Beautiful Bill" and holds a 98% Club for Growth rating.
Sources: WUSF, Club for Growth, Fox 13
Tony D'Arrigo
Not enough infoWants to raise Social Security benefits and lower the retirement age, and blames "Trump and MAGA Republicans" for Medicare cuts. We found little else.
Sources: Campaign site, Campaign platform
U.S. Representative, District 16
Vote for oneOpen seat. Rep. Vern Buchanan is retiring.
Kelly Kirschner
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratCo-founded a nonprofit that helps immigrants take part in civic life. Running on getting corporate money out of politics, lowering costs and keeping hyperscale AI data centers out of the district.
Sources: WSLR, Tampa Bay Times
Sydney Gruters
Not good people RepublicanTrump endorsed her before she launched her campaign, and she is backed by Turning Point Action. Trump appointed her Florida director of USDA Rural Development in 2017.
Sources: Turning Point Action, Campaign site, WUSF
Mark Davis
Not enough infoWas arrested in July 2026 and charged with misdemeanor obstruction after deputies came to his Manatee County home for a court-ordered welfare check.
Sources: Tampa Bay Times, Patch
State Senator, District 18
Vote for oneWe know little about Karla Kemp, but her opponent's record earns her the pick.
Karla Kemp
Not enough info (best choice in this race) DemocratWants universal health care, Medicaid expansion, lower property insurance costs and a ban on corporations buying single-family homes. We found little on her background.
Sources: Campaign site
Nick DiCeglie
Not good people RepublicanSays he "fully backs President Trump's efforts to secure our borders," and in 2025 filed a bill renaming the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America" in state law after Trump's order. Endorsed by Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and the Florida Chamber.
Sources: Campaign site, WUSF, AIF
State Senator, District 21
Vote for oneJordan Hensley
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratWants lower health and homeowners insurance costs, lower utility rates and stronger limits on pollution. Endorsed by the Pinellas County Democratic Party.
Chris Nocco
Not good people RepublicanHis office dropped its "intelligence-led policing" program in a 2024 civil rights settlement. Endorsed by Gov. DeSantis and three police unions, and Trump named him to a Homeland Security advisory council.
Sources: 101.5 Vibe, Florida Chamber, Campaign site, WUSF
State Representative, District 57
Vote for oneWendy Hoy
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratRan so her opponent wouldn't go unopposed. Wants insurance reform, more school funding and an end to state preemption of local zoning. Endorsed by the Sierra Club, NOW and the Florida machinists union.
Sources: Campaign site, Endorsements, Activate Pinellas
State Representative, District 58
Vote for oneBryan Beckman
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratHas an "Affordable Energy Plan" to cut utility bills and get utility money out of state politics. Endorsed by Sierra Club Florida, Planned Parenthood's Florida PAC and county commissioners Charlie Justice and Rene Flowers.
Sources: Campaign site, iVoterGuide
Kimberly "Kim" Berfield
Compromised RepublicanPassed a 2023 law raising penalties for assaulting hospital workers. Endorsed by Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and the conservative Florida Family Action.
Sources: Campaign site, Endorsements, iVoterGuide
State Representative, District 59
Vote for oneWe know little about Susan Leff, but her opponent's record earns her the pick.
Susan Rochelle Leff
Not enough info (best choice in this race) DemocratStarted the year running for Congress in District 13, then switched to this race. We found little else.
Sources: PredictionEdge
Berny Jacques
Not good people RepublicanFiled a 2026 bill to bar undocumented immigrants from financial licenses, loans and housing help. In September 2026 he threatened to sue the City of Seminole over its posts against Amendment 3. Endorsed by two police unions.
Sources: Florida National News, Campaign site, Facebook
State Representative, District 60
Vote for oneLindsay Polega-Quigley
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratDoes pro bono legal work for vulnerable residents. Endorsed by the St. Petersburg firefighters, the Florida AFL-CIO and the Suncoast Sierra Club.
Sources: DLCC, Florida AFL-CIO
Melissa Rutland
Compromised RepublicanSpent nearly ten years on the city board that reviews development, and DeSantis appointed her to the county's Juvenile Welfare Board in 2023. Running on insurance and property tax costs.
Sources: Activate Pinellas
State Representative, District 61
Vote for oneMay Thach
Seems like good people (best choice in this race) DemocratWants Medicaid expansion, higher teacher pay, stronger tenant protections and accountability for property insurers. Endorsed by SEIU Florida, Ruth's List and Florida NOW.
Sources: Campaign site, Endorsements
Linda Chaney
Compromised RepublicanSponsored the 2024 law loosening work-hour limits for 16- and 17-year-olds. Was one of four House Republicans to vote against lowering the rifle-buying age to 18. Endorsed by the Florida Chamber and AIF.
Sources: CBS News Miami, News 6, Wikipedia
City questions
We describe what each question does and don't make recommendations. Belleair, Madeira Beach, Redington Shores and Treasure Island also have charter questions on their ballots. The three statewide amendments are in the State and federal section.
St. Petersburg, bond and charter questions
Propositions- Referendum 1: Up to $600 million in general obligation bonds, repaid from property taxes over as long as 30 years, for flood protection, stormwater pumps and drains, sewer treatment and drinking water.
- Charter Amendment 1: Takes nine vacant city lots near Jamestown off the protected park and waterfront map so they can be sold or rezoned for affordable or workforce housing.
- Referendum 2: Lets the council extend the Harborage Marina lease to 30 years, with the tenant building new docks, boat lifts and restrooms that the city will own when the lease ends.
- Charter Amendment 2: Raises the longest allowed lease at the Port of St. Petersburg from 10 to 25 years without a citywide vote.
- Charter Amendment 3: Technical changes to finish moving city elections to even-numbered years, as voters approved in 2022.
Largo, charter question
Propositions- Referendum: Makes candidate petitions for mayor and city commission available starting March 15 of each city election year.