2020 Central Florida Voters Guide: Your guide to your ballot
Click on the links below to view editorial endorsements, articles and candidate interviews for the various races to be contested on Aug. 18, 2020 with early voting August 8-15, 2020 with some counties allowing early voting earlier. Winners of state primary party-affiliated races will continue on to the general election on Nov. 3, 2020 if there is a qualified opponent. For most nonpartisan races on the primary ballot, if no one candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will progress to the November ballot.
Early voting locations: Lake County - open Aug. 6 5/8 Orange County - open Aug. 3 5/8 Seminole County - open Aug. 8
FEDERAL RACES
District 6 Democratic Primary (Serving parts of Lake, all of Volusia and Flagler and parts of St. Johns County)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Clint Curtis
Richard Thripp
(Winner will face incumbent Republican Michael Waltz and write-in candidates)
District 7 Republican Primary (Serving all of Seminole and parts of Orange County)
Race preview 5/8 Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interview: Zhao 5/8 Candidate interview: Goble
Richard Goble
Leo Valentin
Yukong Zhao
(Winner will face incumbent Democrat Stephanie Murphy and NPA candidate William R Garlington)
District 8 Republican Primary (Serving parts of east Orange County, all of Brevard and Indian River counties)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interview: Caine
Scott Caine
Bill Posey (incumbent)
(Winner will face Democrat Jim Kennedy)
District 9 Republican Primary (Serving all of Osceola County, parts of south Orange and east Polk counties)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Jose Castillo
William P. “Bill” Olson
Sergio E. Ortiz
Christopher Wright
(Winner will face incumbent Democrat Darren Soto and a write-in candidate)
District 10 Republican Primary (Serving west Orange County)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interview: Montague
Vennia Francois
Willie J. Montague
(Winner will face incumbent Democrat Val Demings and a write-in candidate)
District 15 Democrat Primary (Serving South Lake County and parts of Polk and Hillsborough counties)
Alan Cohn
Adam Hattersley
Jesse Phillipe
(Winner will face winner of District 15 Republican primary)
District 15 Republican Primary (Serving South Lake County and parts of Polk and Hillsborough counties)
Scott Franklin
Ross Spano (incumbent)
(Winner will face winner of District 15 Democratic primary)
STATE RACES
District 9 Democratic Primary (serving parts of Seminole and Volusia counties)
Race preview 5/8 Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Rick Ashby
Alexis Carter
Alexander H. Duncan
Guerdy Remy
Patricia Sigman
(Winner will face incumbent Republican Jason Brodeur and NPA-candidate Jestine Iannotti)
District 28 Democratic Primary (Serving parts of Seminole County)
Pasha Baker
Lee Mangold
(Winner faces incumbent Republican David Smith and NPA-candidate Michael A. Riccio)
District 29 Republican Primary (Serving west Seminole County including Longwood and Lake Mary)
Candidate interviews
Luther “Luke” Dowe
Scott Plakon - incumbent
(Winner faces Democrat Tracey Kagan and NPA-candidate Juan Rodriguez)
District 31 Democratic Primary (Serving parts of Orange and Lake counties including parts of Apopka and Mount Dora, Tavares, Eustis, Umatilla)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Debra A. Kaplan
Crissy Stile
(Winner faces winner of District 31 Republican Primary)
District 31 Republican Primary (Serving parts of Orange and Lake counties including parts of Apopka and Mount Dora, Tavares, Eustis, Umatilla)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Steven Novakovic
Keith Truenow
(Winner faces winner of District 31 Democratic Primary)
District 32 Democratic Primary (Serving parts of Lake County including Clermont, Leesburg, Groveland and Mascotte)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Stephanie L. Dukes
Linda Kero
Ryan Morales
(Winner faces incumbent Republican Anthony Sabatini)
District 42 Republican Primary (Serving parts of Osceola and Polk counties including St. Cloud, Lake Wales and Frostproof)
Read the Sentinel Endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Fred Hawkins
Dianna Liebnitzky
Gary Scott
Bienvenido “Benny” Valentin
(Winner faces Democrat Barbara Ann Cady and NPA-candidate Leroy Sanchez)
District 43 Democratic Primary (Serving parts of Osceola County including Kissimmee)
Read the Sentinel Endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Kristen Arrington
Alex Barrio
Carlos L. Irizarry Sr.
Horng “Andrew” Jeng
Tamika Lyles
Ricardo Rangel
(If anyone wins more than 50%, they win the seat. If no one does, the top two vote getters will face off in the November ballot)
District 44 Republican Primary (Serving southwest Orange County including Windermere, the Disney area, parts of Winter Garden and Oakland)
Race preview 5/8 Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Frank Edel Blanco
Bruno Portigliatti
(Winner faces winner of District 44 Democratic Primary)
District 44 Democratic Primary (Serving southwest Orange County including Windermere, the Disney area, parts of Winter Garden and Oakland)
Race preview 5/8 Read the Sentinel endorsement
Andy Farrel
Gerlandine F. Thompson - incumbent
(Winner faces winner of District 44 Republican Primary)
District 47 Republican Primary (Serving parts of Orange County including east Orlando, Winter Park, Edgewood and Belle Isle)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews: Morenski
Kevin Morenski
Jeremy Sisson
(Winner faces incumbent Democrat Anna V. Eskamani)
District 48 Democratic Primary (Serving parts of Orange County including the airport, Azalea Park and Sand Lake)
Daisy Morales
Nelson Pena
Julio L Rocha
Tony Tsonis
Samuel Vilchez Santiago
(Winner races Republican Jesus Martinez)
State Attorney Ninth Circuit Democratic Primary (Serving Orange and Osceola counties)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Debora Lynne Barra
Belvin Perry Jr.
Ryan Williams
Monique Worrell
(Winner will face NPA-candidate Jose Torroella in November)
Fifth Circuit Court, Group 22 (Serving Lake, Marion, Sumter, Citrus and Hernando counties)
George G. Angeliadis - incumbent
Pam Vergara
Ninth Circuit Court, Group 1 (Serving Orange and Osceola counties)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Rhiannon Arnold
Mikaela Nix
Ninth Circuit Court, Group 21 (Serving Orange and Osceola counties)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Alan Apte - incumbent
Christy C. Collins
Ninth Circuit Court, Group 34 (Serving Orange and Osceola counties)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Mike Kraynick - incumbent
Amrita Singh
Ninth Circuit Court, Group 39 (Serving Orange and Osceola counties)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Vincent Falcone
Mark Van Valkenburgh
18th Circuit Court, Group 15 (Serving Brevard and Seminole counties)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Teshaa Scolaro Ballou - incumbent
Michael A. Bross
18th Circuit Court, Group 18 (Serving Brevard and Seminole counties)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews: Henderson 5/8 Candidate interviews: Peacock
Steve Henderson
Michael Peacock
18th Circuit Court, Group 21 (Serving Brevard and Seminole counties)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interview: Jones 5/8 Candidate interview: Goerner
Donna M. Goerner
Marc Jones
18th Circuit Court, Group 25 (Serving Brevard and Seminole counties)
Read the Sentinel endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Sam Bookhardt
Oscar A. Hotusing
COUNTY RACES
County Commission District 1 Republican Primary
Douglas B. Shields
Timothy I. Sullivan
County Commission District 3 Republican Primary
Wendy Breeden
Kirby Smith
County Commission District 5 Republican Primary
Josh Blake
Todd Luce
School Board District 2
Kristi Burns
Patricia Nave
School Board District 4
Mollie B. Cunningham
Betsy Farner
Sandy Gamble
Michael A. Garcia
Clermont City Council Seat 3
Stephen A. Franklin
Tim Murry
Diane Travis
Groveland City Council District 3
Ana Luiza Afshin
Barbara Gaines
Dina Sweatt
Howey-in-the-Hills Recall
Matthew McGill Removed
Matthew McGill Not Removed
Lake County Water Authority District 1 Republican Primary
Daniel J. Lynch
Marty Proctor
Lake County Water Authority District 3 Republican Primary
Tyler David Brandeburg
Nicholas Stack
North Lake Hospital NE Seat 1 Republican Primary
Susan E. Hooper
James Keth Pyle
North Lake Hospital NW Seat 5 Democratic Primary
Melody Duckins
Khalid Sattar
Sheriff Democratic Primary
Andrew Darling
Jose “Joe” Lopez
Eric L. McIntyre
John Mina
Darryl B. Sheppard
Property Appraiser Democratic Primary
Amy Mercado
Khalid Muneer
Rick Singh
County Commission District 1
Race coverage 5/8 Maxwell commentary
Betsey VanderLey
Nicole Wilson
County Commission District 3
Pete Clarke
Bill Moore
Mayra Uribe
County Commission District 5
Emily Bonilla
Mike Miller
Anjali Vaya
School Board District 4
Prince Brown
Dayna Gaut
Pam Gould
School Board District 5
Bruce H. Antone
Vicki-Elaine Felder
Michael "Mike" Scott
School Board District 6
Karen Castor Dentel
Jonathan Hacker
School Board District 7
Ericka Bell
Melissa Mitchell Byrd
Jeannetta Maxena
Clerk of the Court Democratic Primary
John Cortes
Jossue Lorenzo
Armondo Ramirez
Kelvin Soto
Sheriff Democratic Primary
Mike Fisher
Russ Gibson
Marco Lopez
(Winner faces NPA-candidate Luis “Tony” Fernandez)
Tax Collector Democratic Primary
Orlando Gonzalez
Bruce Vickers
Supervisor of Elections Democratic Primary
Mary Jane Arrington
Jamie Matos
Luis Puid
(Winner will face NPA-candidate Beulah (Rosita) Farquharson)
County Commission District 1 Democratic Primary
Jose Alvarez
Peggy Choudhry
Michael Harford
(Winner faces a write-in candidate)
County Commission District 5 Republican Primary
Ricky Booth
Wayne Liebnitzky
(Winner will face Democrat Tahitiana Chaffin)
School Board District 2
Jochua "Jocky" Cora Santiago
Julius Melendez
Kerly Santos
(Candidate with the most votes wins)
School Board District 3
Jon Arguello
Victor Cruz
Casmore Shaw
(Candidate with the most votes wins)
School Board District 5
Robert Bass
Jeffrey Rivera
Kissimmee City Commission Seat 1
Olga Lucia Castano
M. Hannan Khan
Noel Ortiz
(If no one wins more than 50%, then top two candidates with the most votes move to November runoff)
Kissimmee City Commission Seat 3
Carlos Alvarez III
Niles Chalifoux
Reginald Hardee
(If no one wins more than 50%, then top two candidates with the most votes move to November runoff)
Kissimmee City Commission Seat 5
Alvin "AC" Codner
Angela M. Eady
Jackie Espinosa
Olga Gonzalez
Lisandra Roman
Freddy E. Villanueva
(If no one wins more than 50%, then top two candidates with the most votes move to November runoff)
Tax Collector Republican Primary
Editorial endorsement 5/8 Candidate interviews
Brian A. Beute
Jeff “J.R.” Kroll
Joel M. Greenberg (on the ballot, but has withdrawn)
County Commission District 1 Republican Primary
Bob Dallari
Matt Morgan
County Commission District 3 Republican Primary
Lee Constantine
Ben Paris
County Commission District 5 Democratic Primary
Pernell Bush
Mike Clelland
School Board District 3
Veronica L. King
Abby Sanchez
County Judge Group 6
Wayne Culver
Jessica Damoth
Sanford City Commission District 3
Patrick Austin
Nancy A. Groves
Sanford City Commission District 4
Patty Mahany
Cobbin Alexander McGee
Casselberry Mayor City Commission Seat 5
Dave Henson
Sharon LaCrosse
Casselberry City Commission Seat 4
Chad Albritton
Bill Hufford
Dee Smith
———
©2020 The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.)
Visit The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Fla.) at www.OrlandoSentinel.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
