Primary elections 2022: Your complete guide to Escambia, Santa Rosa races and candidates
An earlier version of this story omitted Rebekah Jones, candidate for Florida's 1st Congressional District.
Candidates for Florida's 2022 election are set after qualifying ended on June 17 and more than 60 candidates have qualified for races in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
The primary election is set for Aug. 23, and there are seats open from local school boards up to U.S. Congress.
At the federal level, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz is facing multiple challengers for the Republican nomination in Mark Lombardo and Greg Merk. On the Democrat's side of the contest, the Rebekah Jones and Peggy Schiller are vying for their party's nomination. Jones' name will appear on the primary ballot after the First District Court of Appeal on Monday overruled a Leon County Circuit Court ruling that she did not meet the requirements to run because she had not been a registered Democrat for 365 days before qualifying.
Latest news: Rebekah Jones wins appeal, will be valid candidate in Democratic primary Tuesday
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There are four seats up for grabs in the Florida Legislature, one in the Senate and three in the House.
In Pensacola, one of the biggest races on the ballot will be the mayor's race, where for the second election cycle in a row the incumbent has decided not to run for reelection. Two longtime City Council members, Jewel Cannada-Wynn and Sherri Myers, are joined in the contest by political newcomers D.C. Reeves and Steven Sharp.
Pensacola mayoral forum recap: Who will be the next Pensacola mayor?
Judge race: Two candidates, two problems: Hamlin and Ritchie vie for Escambia's District 1 judge seat
Escambia County voters will be choosing two county commission seats and three school board seats in new districts drawn after the 2020 Census.
In Santa Rosa County several of the races are highlighted by challengers to the incumbents in roles across the county.
Below, catch up on the News Journal's coverage of all these races and more. You will also find dozens of Q&As where candidates answer in their own words why they deserve your vote:
State Legislative offices
Florida Senate District 1: Broxson faces Mills
State Representative District 1: Rematch between Salzman and Hill
State Representative District 2: Andrade faces 2 challengers
State Representative District 3: Calkins and Rudman face off
Pensacola Mayor
Sherri Myers wants to shake up the Pensacola mayor's office
D.C. Reeves believes 'Pensacola is on precipice of such great things'
Jewel Cannada-Wynn wants another opportunity to serve Pensacola
Steve Sharp says he has the experience to be the next mayor of Pensacola
Pensacola City Council
Escambia County Commission
Escambia County School Board
Santa Rosa County Commission
Santa Rosa County School Board
In their own words
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following are interviews conducted via questionnaire by the Pensacola News Journal with Escambia and Santa Rosa County election candidates for their respective races. All of the answers were submitted to the Pensacola News Journal by the candidate and are available to our readers to show the candidates' position and priorities on the issues.
If a candidate or race is not included in this list, it is because the candidate did not respond to multiple requests to complete the questionnaire, or because the candidate is uncontested in the primary.
Federal offices
U.S. Senate
Val Demings (D)
Steven B. Grant (NPA)
Dennis Misigoy (LPF)
Tuan TQ Nguyen (NPA)
Marco Rubio (R) (incumbent)
William Sanchez (D)
U.S. Representative District 1
Matt Gaetz (R) (incumbent)
Rebekah Jones (D)
Mark Lombardo (R)
Greg Merk (R)
Peggy Schiller (D)
State Legislative offices
State Senate District 1
Doug Broxson (R) (incumbent)
John Mills (R)
Charlie Nichols (D)
State Representative District 1
Mike Hill (R)
Franscine Mathis (D)
Michelle Salzman (R) (incumbent)
State Representative District 2
Alex Andrade (R) (incumbent)
Jordan Karr (R)
Greg Litton (R)
Carollyn Rabeca Taylor (D)
State Representative District 3
Mariya Calkins (R)
Joel Rudman (R)
Escambia County
Partisan Races
County Commission District 2 (Open Primary)
Kevin Brown (R)
Michael Kohler (R)
Chance Walsh (R)
County Commission District 4
Robert Bender (R) (incumbent)
Myra J. Van Hoose (D)
Stan McDaniels (R)
ECUA District 2
Lois Benson (R) (incumbent)
Anderson "Andy" Romagnano (D)
ECUA District 4
Dale Perkins (R) (Automatically elected)
Non-partisan races
School Board District 1
Kevin Adams (incumbent)
Connor Mann
School Board District 2
Paul Fetsko (incumbent)
School Board District 3
Laura Dortch Edler (incumbent)
Escambia Soil & Water Conservation District Group 2
Johnnie Odom (Automatically elected)
Escambia Soil & Water Conservation District Group 3
Travis Tharp (Automatically elected)
County Judge Group 1
County Court Judge Group 3
Barry Dickson Jr. (Automatically elected)
Pensacola
Mayor
City Council District 2
City Council District 4
Jared Moore (Automatically elected)
City Council District 6
Ann Hill (incumbent)
Century
Council Seat 5
Sandra McMurray Jackson (Automatically elected)
Santa Rosa County
Partisan Races
County Commissioner District 2
Jeff Ates IV (R)
Rickie Cotton Jr. (R)
Kerry Smith (R)
Howard Steele (R)
County Commissioner District 4
Ray Eddington (R)
Dave Piech (R) (incumbent)
Non-partisan races
County Court Judge, Group 1
Robert Hilliard
School Board District 1
Wayne Patterson
Linda Sanborn (incumbent)
School Board District 3
Carol Boston (incumbent)
Alisabeth Janai Lancaster
School Board District 5
Scott Peden
Pete Peters
Midway Fire District Seat 2
Justin Labrato (Automatically elected)
Midway Fire District Seat 4
Neal Carter (Automatically elected)
Pace Fire Rescue District, Seat 2
Bob Jankowski (Automatically elected)
Pace Fire Rescue District, Seat 4
Nick Gradia (Automatically elected)
Avalon Beach-Mulat Fire Protection District Seat 3
Rodney Johnson (Automatically elected)
Avalon Beach-Mulat Fire Protection District Seat 5
Bill Sheets (Automatically elected)
Blackwater Soil & Water Conservation District Group 1
John C. Salter (Automatically elected)
Blackwater Soil & Water Conservation District Group 2
Tanner Laney (Automatically elected)
Blackwater Soil & Water Conservation District Group 3
Burlin Findley (Automatically elected)
Blackwater Soil & Water Conservation District Group 4
Lucas Earl Killam (Automatically elected)
Blackwater Soil & Water Conservation District Group 5
Mickey Diamond (Automatically elected)
Jay
Mayor
Shon Owens (Automatically elected)
Councilmember
Nina Hendricks (Automatically elected)
Councilmember
Josh Holloway (Automatically elected)
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Primary elections 2022: Escambia, Santa Rosa candidate profiles
