Florida Primary Election Day Is August 18: Major Races Pensacola Voters Should Know
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Florida’s 2026 Primary Election is Tuesday, August 18, with major races for governor, U.S. Senate, Congress and statewide offices alongside several closely watched elections in Pensacola and Escambia County.
For Northwest Florida, the ballot includes the race to succeed term limited Gov. Ron DeSantis, a special U.S. Senate election, a challenge to Congressman Jimmy Patronis, an open Florida House seat, the Pensacola mayoral race and a countywide decision over how Escambia County chooses its school superintendent.
Here are some of the biggest races to watch.
Florida Governor
For the first time since 2018, Florida is choosing nominees for an open governor’s seat.
Gov. Ron DeSantis is unable to seek another consecutive term after serving eight years, creating one of the highest profile races on Florida’s 2026 ballot.
The Republican primary includes:
Jay Collins
Byron Donalds
James Fishback
Jim Holcomb
Arthur Joseph McCaffrey
Daniel Nokovich
Paul Renner
Rachel Rodriguez
James W. Shaw
Caneste Succe
Bobby Williams
The Democratic primary includes:
Evelyn Castillo Bach
Thomas Eloy Fernandez
Dayna Marie Foster
David Jolly
Dotie Joseph
Stephann Norman
The Florida Division of Elections lists all of those candidates as qualified for the 2026 race.
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds has emerged as the most prominent candidate in the Republican field, while former U.S. Rep. David Jolly has become the best known candidate on the Democratic side.
The nominees will advance to the November 3 general election.
U.S. Senate Special Election
Florida also has a rare U.S. Senate special election underway.
Ashley Moody was appointed to the Senate after Marco Rubio left the seat to become U.S. Secretary of State. The 2026 election will determine who completes the remainder of the Senate term.
The Republican primary includes:
Chris Gleason
Ashley Moody, incumbent
Neelam Taneja Perry
Ernest “Ernie” Rivera
The Democratic primary includes:
Angie Nixon
Alex Vindman
Neil J. Gillespie has also qualified as a no party affiliation candidate for the general election.
The Senate race will be one of Florida’s biggest contests heading into November.
U.S. House District 1
Northwest Florida also has a contested congressional primary.
U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis is seeking another term representing Florida’s 1st Congressional District, which includes the Pensacola area.
The Republican primary includes:
Douglas Chico
John Frankman
Jimmy Patronis, incumbent
Democrat Gay Valimont qualified without a Democratic primary opponent, while Tyler L. Davis qualified as a no party affiliation candidate.
The winners and qualified general election candidates will meet in November.
Florida House District 2
Another important local race is taking place for Florida House District 2.
The seat is open, creating a Republican primary between:
Jon Fay
Trei McMullen
Democrat Johnny Austin Thompson qualified without a primary opponent.
District 2 covers portions of the Pensacola area in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Florida Chief Financial Officer
Florida voters are also selecting party nominees for Chief Financial Officer.
The Republican primary includes:
Frank William Collige
Blaise Ingoglia, incumbent
The Democratic primary includes:
Earle Ford
Annette Taddeo
All four are listed as qualified candidates by the Florida Division of Elections.
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture
Both major parties also have contested primaries for Commissioner of Agriculture.
The Republican primary includes:
Wilton Simpson, incumbent
Matt Taylor
The Democratic primary includes:
Joey Mendoza Atkins
Donald A. “Don” Prichard
Kyle “KC” Gibson has qualified as a write in candidate for the general election.
Florida Attorney General
Florida’s Attorney General race will not have a contested major party primary.
Incumbent Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier qualified without a Republican opponent, while Democrat Jose Javier Rodriguez qualified without a Democratic opponent.
That sets up the major party matchup for November without an August primary contest.
Pensacola Mayor
One of the biggest local races on August 18 is for Mayor of Pensacola.
Six candidates qualified for the nonpartisan election:
Jasmine Brown
Ann Hill
D.C. Reeves
Eric W. Shorter
Alicia Trawick
Jermaine J. Williams
Incumbent Mayor D.C. Reeves is seeking another term against five challengers.
The race can be decided August 18 if one candidate receives a majority of the vote. Otherwise, the top candidates will continue to the November election.
Escambia County Commission District 2
Escambia County Commission District 2 also has a contested Republican primary.
The candidates are:
Glenn Dorsey
Mike Kohler
Both qualified for the District 2 race following the June qualifying period.
Escambia County School Board
Three Escambia County School Board seats have contested nonpartisan races.
District 1
Incumbent Kevin Adams
Erin Toler
District 2
Incumbent Paul H. Fetsko
Gerald Washington
District 3
Incumbent David Williams
Isaac L. Williams
The three contests are among the major local races appearing in Escambia County’s August election.
Escambia County School Superintendent Referendum
Escambia County also has a major countywide question on the ballot.
The referendum asks whether the Escambia County Superintendent of Schools should once again be elected rather than appointed by the School Board.
Escambia County voters narrowly approved changing from an elected superintendent to an appointed superintendent in 2018, with the new system taking effect in 2020. The 2018 referendum passed by just 910 votes.
If the 2026 referendum approves returning to an elected superintendent, candidates for the office would appear on the ballot beginning with the 2028 election. If the current system remains, the School Board would continue selecting the superintendent.
Major Santa Rosa County Races
Several school board contests are also being decided in neighboring Santa Rosa County.
School Board District 1
Linda Sanborn, incumbent
David Farrow
School Board District 3
Carol Boston, incumbent
Kyle Connolly
School Board District 5
Scott Peden, incumbent
Marie Locklin
Jill Broxson Teston
Santa Rosa County also has a Holley Navarre Fire District referendum involving assessment rates for fire and rescue services for residents within that district.
A Busy Election Day for Northwest Florida
While the open race for Florida governor and the U.S. Senate special election will draw attention statewide, several of the races with the most direct impact on the Pensacola area are much closer to home.
Pensacola could choose its mayor, three Escambia School Board races are contested, County Commission District 2 has a Republican primary and Escambia County will decide whether to reconsider the way its school superintendent is selected.
Florida’s Primary Election Day is Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
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