The field of candidates for the 2026 elections is now set. Candidate qualifying ended at noon Friday, determining which races will appear on the August primary ballot and which will be decided in November. Need a refresher on Florida’s primary election rules? Read my Primer: Florida’s Primary Election Process.
On the August Primary Ballot
In the August primaries, Collier County Republicans and Democrats will choose their parties’ nominees for several offices that will appear on the November general election ballot. These include U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Governor, Chief Financial Officer, Commissioner of Agriculture, and one Florida House seat that represents part of Collier County. Because Florida is a closed primary state, your party registration will determine which partisan primary races you may vote in. Republicans vote in Republican primaries, Democrats vote in Democratic primaries, and voters registered with no party affiliation or a minor party generally may not vote in partisan primaries.
All voters in Collier County will be able to vote in nonpartisan elections for two 20th Circuit Court judges and one School Board member. With only two candidates running in each race, the three races will be decided in August.
The race for the County Commission District 4 seat will also be decided in August. It will be open to all voters in the district since the two candidates are both Republicans, and no other candidates qualified.
In addition, some voters will see local referendum questions on their ballots:
- City of Marco Island voters will decide whether to approve a general obligation bond referendum.
- Voters in the Greater Naples Fire Rescue District will vote on a referendum about how fire commissioners are elected.
On the November General Election Ballot
Some races will not appear on the August primary ballot because only one Republican and one Democrat qualified. Those contests will be decided in the November general election, along with any races that advance from the August primaries.
All Collier County voters will see two Naples Airport Authority Board of Commissioners races on their November ballots. This will be the first election for the Airport Authority Board. Seats 4 and 5, which must be held by Collier County residents who live outside the City of Naples, will be on the ballot. Candidates for Seats 1, 2, and 3 were unopposed and are listed below.
Voters will also decide whether to retain one Florida Supreme Court justice, and, depending on where they live, may also elect members of local boards, including the Collier Mosquito Control District, the Greater Naples and North Collier fire districts, and the County’s many special-purpose Community Development Districts (CDDs) and Community Improvement Districts (CIDs).
The November ballot will also include three proposed amendments to the Florida Constitution and a local one percent tourist development tax referendum
Overview of the 2026 Ballot
The following table shows both which offices will appear on the August primary ballot and which will be decided in November.
Candidates Without Opposition
Some candidates qualified without opposition, meaning no other candidate qualified to run against them. Under Florida law, they are considered elected and will not appear on the ballot.
The candidates listed below were elected automatically:
In the Coming Weeks
In the coming weeks, I will be researching many of the candidates who will appear on the ballot and sharing my research on Sparker’s Soapbox. As always, feel free to reach out with questions any time!
