DeSoto County, Florida

Florida House District 76

2 candidates are tracked for Florida House District 76 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Phillip Ray Carter and Vanessa Oliver. Candidate information follows official DeSoto County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Phillip Ray Carter (Democratic), Vanessa Oliver (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Florida House District 76; Vanessa Oliver is the sitting member, per the Florida House of Representatives' official roster. Major-party nominees were chosen at the August 18 primary or advanced unopposed; minor-party and no-party-affiliation candidates qualify directly for the November ballot. The field is the Florida Division of Elections' certified 2026 General Election candidate list. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.

What this office does

State legislator. State legislators write and vote on state laws and the state budget, which fund schools, roads, prisons, universities and health programs, and set the rules for local governments and elections. Each member represents one district and serves on committees that shape bills before a floor vote. Terms are two years in most state houses and four in most state senates.

This race. Elected by district: only voters who live in the district see this race on their ballot. The sitting officeholder, Vanessa Oliver, is on the ballot.

Florida › DeSoto County › Florida House District 76

Phillip Ray Carter

Democratic

Biography

Phillip Ray Carter is a retired U.S. Air Force security specialist who later worked as an Illinois police patrol officer, a movie-theater company district manager, a Lee County substitute teacher, a real estate agent and a construction project manager, according to Blue Water Healthy Living. He has been retired since May 2026 and is a Democratic candidate for Florida House District 76, which covers all of DeSoto County and parts of Charlotte and Lee counties. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026.

Vanessa Oliver

Republican Incumbent

Top priorities

Establish an insurance fraud task force to help lower insurance rates
Support tax cuts and permanent tax holidays, and greater parental involvement in education
Protect Florida's agriculture industry and water quality

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Vanessa Oliver's occupation is listed as chief executive officer, and she is CEO of Ambitrans Ambulance, a ground-ambulance transportation company, according to Florida Politics, which also notes her law degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and prior civil litigation practice.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

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Voting info and more

Questions about this race

Who is running for Florida House District 76 in 2026?

When is the Florida House District 76 election in Florida?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Florida are on the Florida election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact DeSoto County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official DeSoto County Supervisor of Elections filings. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Florida election office, or see the full DeSoto County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your DeSoto County ballot

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Candidate profiles

Phillip Ray Carter, full profile Vanessa Oliver, full profile Official Florida election office