Who’s on the ballot for Manatee County’s 2026 primary election? See the list
Manatee County voters will get to cast their ballots on Aug. 18 with a primary election that includes several key local and state races.
More than half of the Manatee County commission seats are up for grabs, with only two incumbents running to retain their seats. , In District 1, voters will pick candidates for a two-year term to finish the late Commissioner Carol Ann Felts’ term. The seat has been vacant since Felts died in February.
There’s also a crowded race for Congressional District 16, with three Republicans and five Democrats in the primary. Rep. Vern Buchanan announced his retirement in January after 20 years in office.
When Gov. Ron DeSantis signed new congressional maps into law earlier this year, the new boundaries for District 16 sparked controversy among some candidates.
The primary election in August gives registered party voters the change to select which candidate they want to move onto the general election in November. Voters can also visit www.VoteManatee.gov to view a personalized sample ballot and get more information about their precinct location.
July 20 is the deadline to register to vote in the primary.
Here’s a list of all the candidates on the 2026 primary ballot:
United States Senator
Republican candidates:
- Chris Gleason
- Ashley Moody (Incumbent)
- Neelam Taneja Perry
- Ernest “Ernie” Rivera
Democratic candidates:
- Angie Nixon
- Alex Vindman
U.S. House of Representatives - District 16
Republican candidates:
- Sydney Gruters
- Ed Pope
- Eddie Speir
Democratic candidates:
- Jon Harris
- Kelly Kirschner
- Tamika Lyles
- Glenn Pearson
- Jan Schneider
Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Republican candidates:
- Jay Collins
- Byron Donalds
- James Fishback
- Jim Holcomb
- Arthur Joseph McCaffrey
- Daniel Nokovich
- Paul Renner
- Rachel Rodriguez
- James W. Shaw
- Caneste Succe
- Bobby Williams
Democratic candidates:
- Evelyn Castillo-Bach
- Thomas Eloy Fernandez
- Danya Marie Foster
- David Jolly / Gwen Graham
- Dotie Joseph
- Stephann Norman
Chief Financial Officer
Republican candidates:
- Frank William Collige
- Blaise Ingoglia (Incumbent)
Democratic candidates:
- Earle Ford
- Annette Taddeo
Commissioner of Agriculture
Republican candidates:
- Wilton Simpson
- Matt Taylor
Democratic candidates:
- Joey Mendoza Atkins
- Donald A. “Don” Prichard
State Senator, District 20
Republican candidate:
- Jim Boyd (incumbent)
Democratic candidates:
- Gerald Baldi
- John Houman
State Senator, District 22
Republican candidates:
- James Buchanan
- Vic Roche
State Representative, District 71
Republican candidates:
- Melton Little
- Dylan Paul Modarelli
- Jordan Varnadore
State Representative, District 72
Republican candidates:
- William “Bill” Conerly (Incumbent)
- John “Captain” Phillips
Manatee County Commission
District 1
- Elizabeth “Liz” Arnold, Republican
- John Dunn, Republican
- Michael L. Harrison, Republican
- Adam Johnson, Republican
- Mark Stanoch, Republican
- Leland Taylor, Republican
District 2
- Edward Bailey, Republican
- Amanda Ballard, Republican (Incumbent)
District 4
- Glenn Gibellina, Republican
- Mike Rahn, Republican (Incumbent)
District 6 — Countywide
- Tony Barrett, Republican
- John B. Calovich, Republican
- Ed Ference, Republican
- Tara Poulton, Republican
Manatee County School Board
District 2
- James T. Golden
- Sharon Jefferson
- Margi Nanney
- Cindy Spray
- JT White
District 5
- Camden “Cam” Bedinghaus
- Jonathan Mullis
- Chantal Wilford
