Hernando County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026

Kathryn Birren is a small business owner and chair of the county Planning and Zoning Commission, per the Hernando Sun's candidate Q&A and qualifying-week coverage. Her campaign reports the largest fundraising total in the race, per Supervisor of Elections filings.

Priorities: Regular evening town halls for constituent engagement, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Managing growth while preserving county character, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Fiscal discipline in budgeting, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Raised $94,200 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Silvia Dukes is a realtor and community volunteer with more than 20 years in the county, per the Hernando Sun's candidate Q&A.

Priorities: Fiscal responsibility and transparency, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Smart planning for affordable housing, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · An environment for small business growth, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Raised $23,350 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Maxwell Joseph Glenn is a lifelong Hernando resident and 2018 Springstead High graduate who describes himself as a conservative conservationist, per the Hernando Sun's candidate Q&A.

Priorities: Preventing overdevelopment, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Preserving the Nature Coast, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Transparent stewardship of tax dollars, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Raised $8,031.28 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Diane M. Greenwell is a longtime community volunteer with more than 10 years of volunteer service who qualified hours before the deadline after the incumbent withdrew from the race, per the Hernando Sun.

Priorities: Responsible growth management, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Public safety, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Fiscal accountability and transparency, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Raised $27,102 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

James Scavetta is a gun shop owner and 40-year county resident, per the Hernando Sun's candidate Q&A and his campaign site.

Priorities: Stop the rezoning of farmland, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Oppose tax increases, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · A permanent ban on data centers, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Raised $7,400 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Marvin Baynham is a firefighter, serving since 2017, who previously worked for the nonprofit CDC of Tampa; he ran for commission in 2024 and is endorsed by Commissioner Steve Champion, per his campaign site and the Hernando Sun.

Priorities: Tax relief so residents are not taxed out of their homes, per his campaign site · Responsible growth through proper planning, per his campaign site · Consulting residents before major votes, per his campaign site

Raised $68,262.31 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Jeff Holcomb is the sitting state representative for House District 53, a Spring Hill realtor, and a U.S. Navy Reserve intelligence officer who previously served eight years as a Hernando County commissioner; he withdrew from House re-election to run for this seat, per the Hernando Sun and Tampa Bay Beacon.

Raised $24,150 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Donald Bigelow qualified as a write-in in Hernando County Commission District 4, per Supervisor of Elections filings. Write-in names are not printed on Florida ballots; voters write the name in the space provided.

Mark Johnson owns a private investigation agency and is the District 1 incumbent, first elected in 2014 and returned to the board in 2022, per the Hernando Sun's candidate Q&A.

Priorities: Remove programs he calls divisive from schools, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Support school choice, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Reduce teacher paperwork burden, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Raised $11,327.01 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Dana Lynne Pearce is the recently retired principal of F.W. Springstead High School with more than 30 years in education, per the Hernando Sun's candidate Q&A.

Priorities: Strong academics plus expanded career-technical and arts programs, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Teacher retention through reduced paperwork and mentorship, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Protect classroom instruction and student safety in tight budgets, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Raised $5,485 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Shannon Rodriguez owns Dynasty Collision and Auto Repair in Weeki Wachee and is the District 3 incumbent and board vice chair, first elected in 2022, per the Hernando Sun's candidate Q&A.

Priorities: Increase teacher salaries and educator retention, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Expand career and technical education, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Improve academic achievement and school safety, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Raised $38,300 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Luciano Vignali has a background in human resources and operations and serves on his church vestry; he ran for county commission in 2024, per the Hernando Sun's candidate Q&A.

Priorities: Fresh ideas, respect, and common-sense leadership on the board, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Enhanced teacher support and professional autonomy, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Expanded student government and civic engagement, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Raised $3,980 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Kara Leigh Champion is a local business owner, lifelong Floridian, and mother, per the Hernando Sun's candidate Q&A.

Priorities: Parental choice and transparency in school decisions, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Teacher retention through less bureaucracy and stronger classroom discipline, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Back to fundamentals: reading, writing, math, and civics, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Raised $28,795.76 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Amanda Cunningham-Rud is a Florida-certified teacher with a master's in public administration, a former School Advisory Council chair and PTO president at Moton Elementary, and a Brooksville Main Street board member, per the Hernando Sun.

Priorities: Make Hernando schools the first choice for every child, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · High student conduct standards backing teachers, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Academic-focused learning environments, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Raised $3,215 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Susan Duval is a career educator with a bachelor's in social science education, a master's in administration, and an educational specialist degree from USF; she is the District 5 incumbent, first elected in 2014, per the Hernando Sun's candidate Q&A.

Priorities: Continuous improvement through a shared board focus, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Teacher recruitment via programs like Para to Pro, per the Hernando Sun Q&A · Funding well-qualified classroom instruction, per the Hernando Sun Q&A

Raised $2,815 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Betty Erhard is a former two-term Brooksville councilwoman who served from 2014 to 2022, including as mayor in 2018, per NatureCoaster coverage of the outgoing council.

Raised $1,000 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Robert D. Watson is on the qualified candidate roster in the nonpartisan Brooksville City Council Seat 1 race in the 2026 cycle, per Hernando County Supervisor of Elections filings.

Noah Hodges is on the qualified candidate roster in the nonpartisan Brooksville City Council Seat 4 race in the 2026 cycle, per Hernando County Supervisor of Elections filings.

Raised $5,250 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Jennifer McCoskrie is on the qualified candidate roster in the nonpartisan Brooksville City Council Seat 4 race in the 2026 cycle, per Hernando County Supervisor of Elections filings.

Raised $1,000 · per Supervisor of Elections filings