Maxwell: Florida's 2026 ballot is packed, confusing. But there's help.

By Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel The Tribune Content Agency

Updated June 18, 2026 3:08 PM

As of Friday, the fields for this year's Florida ballots were officially set. And I'll be honest with you: It's a lot.

There are 28 people running for governor and more than 30 candidates vying for five seats on the Orange County commission.

Voters will also consider three constitutional amendments - all quite complex. One asks voters to render a verdict on the state's "Budget Stabilization Fund." Another, on property taxes, has been advertised as helping homeowners, but was also drafted to save business billions of dollars.

There's no way I can run through all the races in one column. But I thought I'd flag a few, starting with some that haven't yet received much attention.

I also wanted to share a list of resources that can help make you a more informed voter.

Orange County School Board Chair

This is a race with two very different candidates. Veteran school board member Angie Gallo is facing Moms for Liberty-inspired candidate Alicia Farrant, who has crusaded to ban books in classrooms, including one by popular hometown author John Green.

Both candidates say their primary concern is educating students. But one has been at the forefront of the culture-war battles that have derailed and distracted some Florida school districts. So this race presents a clear choice.

Author John Green has words for those trying to ban his book in his hometown | Commentary

Legislative races

There are many worth watching. But three key ones involve serious challenges by Democrats against Republican incumbents Sen. Jason Brodeur and Rep. Erika Booth, plus a Republican challenging a Democratic incumbent in Orlando's Disney-based district.

Brodeur is being challenged by Maitland Mayor John Lowndes, a respected local official who has steered clear of controversy and is challenging a guy who's been steeped in it. Brodeur was an intended beneficiary of a "ghost candidate" scheme for which multiple people either pled to crimes or were found guilty.

Booth, a former school board member from Osceola County who won her House seat with only 52% of the vote, is being challenged by Eric Gray, the director of Orlando's Christian Service Center.

Then there's Orlando's Disney district. There, incumbent Democrat Leonard Spencer - the only Dem to oust a House Republican in all of Florida last cycle when he ended Carolina Amesty's short and messy tenure - is facing a challenge from local GOP party leader Erin Huntley, who wants the seat back.

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Attorney General

You can argue this race will show whether Democrats can still compete in statewide contests. Republican incumbent James Uthmeier should be vulnerable. He was gifted the seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis and has generated one controversy after another. With Uthmeier's Hope Florida scandal, contempt-of-court order and blanket decision to ignore equality-based laws, there are bellboys with less baggage.

Democrats have a solid challenger in José Javier Rodríguez, an attorney and former law-school professor who barely lost his South Florida state senate seat in the "ghost candidate" scandal mentioned above. So the race seems ripe. And the position is incredibly important, as it can be a check and balance on lawlessness from other politicians. But how hard Democrats fight here remains to be seen.

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Congress

Central Florida's most hotly contested congressional race will be embattled Cory Mills' fight to hold onto his seat. Even some Republicans want the scandal-plagued politician gone, including former Fox35 news anchor Ryan Elijah, who's among the Republicans challenging Mills.

But if GOP voters stick with Mills, it could set up Democrats for a big steal. Several candidates, including former NASA chief of staff Bale Dalton and Navy vet Marialana Kinter, are ready and waiting.

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Property taxes

Then there's the constitutional amendment on property taxes that the state's own economists have estimated will cost local governments $12 billion a year by the next decade.

The proposal by DeSantis and GOP legislators has been billed as a way to help struggling homeowners. But lawmakers also include a big gift for big businesses and wealthy out-of-state residents who own second homes in the Sunshine State. A new cap on tax increases for them would, as Seeking Rents recently reported, save them more than $2 billion in the first five years alone.

Even the Wall Street Journal's conservative editorial board has called this proposal a "mistake" and "disappointment."

Florida economists project cities and counties to lose $12 billion under property tax plan

Much more

There's a lot more, including a wide-open race for Orange County mayor and more than 30 candidates vying for five seats on the county commission, two of which are newly created.

There's also the jam-packed race for governor. Byron Donalds seems to view his endorsement from Donald Trump as a gift-wrapped victory and is so far refusing to even debate his fellow Republicans who are scrambling for relevance. Meanwhile, Republican-turned-Democrat David Jolly has teamed up with Gwen Graham to appeal to the moderate middle.

Then there are a slew of judicial races and school board seats. Not to mention the U.S. Senate race where National Security Council whistleblower Alex Vindman, a Democrat, is mounting a long-shot bid to oust Republican Ashley Moody.

There will certainly be more coverage on all these races in the coming weeks. But many Floridians want to know how they can prepare.

Get informed

The League of Women Voters has a solid voter-information site (vote411.org) that will let you enter your address and get details on all the races that will be on your individual ballot.

Local leagues, like the ones in Orange (lwvoc.org) and Seminole (lwvseminole.org) put together great panels and candidate forums.

Orlando's Tiger Bay political club (tigerbayclub.org) also hosts candidate forums, including one for judicial candidates next month.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida (newscollabcfl.org) - a group of nine local news orgs in Central Florida - is already working on a voters guide.

And the Sentinel's editorial board (orlandosentinel.com/opinion) will be interviewing candidates and putting the videos online, so readers can reach their own conclusions.

Many of these guides, forums and interviews won't be ready for several weeks, since the official fields were set only a few days ago. But with two months until the Aug. 18 primaries and four months until the Nov. 3 general election, there is time to make sure you're casting an informed ballot.

This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 2:52 PM.