2022 Florida Primary: Who's on the ballot in Florida?

LAKE MARY, Fla. - The 2022 Midterm Elections include federal, state, county, and municipal races. 

Florida is a closed primary state, meaning only voters who are registered members of political parties may vote for their respective party candidates.  The ballot you receive in the primary will be determined by your political affiliation.  If you are not affiliated with a political party, then you will receive a non-party affiliation (NPA) ballot. 

Many races are non-partisan, so everyone can vote regardless of their political affiliation or non-affiliation. In some cases, there are races known as universal primaries. These universal primaries are contests in a primary election in which all candidates have the same party affiliation and the winner will have no opposition in the general election.  All qualified voters may vote in a universal primary.

Non-partisan judicial and school board elections are held on the same day as the Primary Election.  Candidates for these offices do not run as representatives of any political party.  If there are three (3) or more candidates and none of the three receive a majority vote (50% + 1), the two (2) top vote-getters advance to the General Election.

For more information on how who is qualified to vote, how one registers to vote, how and where one can cast a ballot, and how to report concerns over election fraud, see our story here.  Below is a summary of candidates and issues that are on the ballot in 2022.

U.S. Congress

At stake are all 435 House of Representatives seats from 50 states, currently with a 220-211 Democratic majority and four vacancies. Nonvoting delegates from the District of Columbia and U.S. territories will also be elected.

In the 100-member Senate, 35 seats are being contested. The Senate is essentially evenly divided with 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats, and two independents who caucus with the Democrats. In the Senate, 60 votes are generally needed to block legislation delaying actions, or filibusters, and 67 votes are needed to override a presidential veto.

U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) is not up for re-election this year. Florida's senior senator, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is up for re-election but will not be challenged on the Aug. 23 primary ballot.  In November, Sen. Rubio will face the winner of the Democratic primary which includes Ricardo De La Fuente, Val Demings, Brian Rush, and William Sanchez. Additionally, one candidate with the Libertarian Party of Florida, Dennis Misigoy, will be on that ballot, along with four write-in candidates and two candidates with no party affiliation.

All members of the U.S. House of Representatives are on the ballot. Florida is divided into 28 congressional districts, having gained one additional seat following the redistricting this year.  View an interactive map of Congressional Districts in Florida by clicking here.

Governor

Incumbent Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, is running unopposed in the Primary Election.

Democrats Charlie Crist, Candace Daniel, Nicole "Nikki" Fried (current agriculture commissioner), and Robert L. Willis will be on the Primary Election ballot.

Three candidates with no party affiliation – Carmen Jackie Gimenez, Jodi Gregory Jeloudov, and Hector Ross – will be on the Primary Election ballot, as well as two write-in candidates – Kyle KC Gibson and James Thompson.

Attorney General

Republican incumbent Ashley Moody is running unopposed in the Primary for Florida Attorney General.

Democrats Aramis Ayala, Jim Lewis, and Daniel Uhlfelder are running to be Moody's opponents.

Chief Financial Officer

Republican Incumbent Jimmy Patronis and Democrat Adam Hattersley are both running unopposed in their Primaries and will appear on the General Election ballot.

Commissioner of Agriculture

With current Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried throwing her hat in the ring to be the Democratic candidate for Florida governor, voters for both major parties will have options on the Primary and General Election ballots.

Democrats Naomi Esther Blemur, J.R. Gaillot, and Ryan Morales, and Republicans James W. Shaw and Wilton Simpson will appear on the Primary ballot.

Florida State Legislature

Roughly a third of the Florida Senate is up for election in 2022 along with all 120 Florida State House seats, though many candidates are unopposed in their primary contest in August. 

Florida law requires Florida Supreme Court justices and Florida District Courts of Appeal judges to be placed on the ballot for "merit retention" elections. Those whose terms expire on January 2023 will be on the November ballot. The Florida Circuit Court judges run in nonpartisan elections. After serving a six-year term, they must run for re-election if they wish to retain their seat. The Florida County Court selects its judges through nonpartisan elections.

Florida Court System

All Florida voters will also see retention elections for appointed judges and State Supreme Court justices whose terms expire in January 2023, and therefore have to retain their seats through the election process. 

State Supreme Court justices, which are listed as nonpartisan, are appointed by governors. Every six years, they go on ballots for voters to decide if they will retain their seats. Additionally, District Court of Appeal judges are appointed by the governor and then run in merit retention elections to stay in office. Most circuit and county court judges are elected unless there is a midterm vacancy. 

Circuit Court judges also serve six-year terms and run in nonpartisan races.  Those whose terms expire in January 2023 are on the Aug. 23 primary ballot. 

In Florida, both county and circuit judges are trial judges. County judges hear criminal misdemeanors – crimes that have possible sentences of up to one year in jail – and civil cases in which the amount in dispute is $30,000 or less. Circuit judges deal with criminal felonies, domestic relations, juvenile matters, probate issues, and civil cases in which the disputed amount is greater than $30,000. Judges on the five District Courts of Appeal and the Florida Supreme Court review the decisions of the county and circuit trial courts.

County/Municipal Races

• Every county in our viewing area will have some county-level or municipal races on the Aug. 23 primary ballot.
• Brevard, Marion, Orange, Polk, Seminole, and Volusia counties all have nonpartisan county judge races on the Aug. 23 primary ballot.
• All counties in our viewing area will be holding school board elections on the Aug. 23 primary ballot.  In Florida, school board races are nonpartisan races.
• Most counties in our viewing area will be deciding on county leadership positions.  All but Orange County have partisan races; however, many of these races will be universal primaries open to all voters.
• Several municipalities in our viewing area will be choosing city leadership or deciding on amendments and/or ordinances.  Among them are: Apopka, DeLand, Deltona, Edgewater, Gainesville, Howey-In-The-Hills, Kissimmee, New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Beach, Palm Coast, Pierson, Ponce Inlet, Sanford, St. Cloud, Titusville.