Hernando County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
13 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 6 Hernando County races, led by the Hernando County Commission District 4 contest; 3 more races were decided at the primary.
County offices
Commission District 4Jeff Holcomb (R) · Donald Bigelow (Write-In)
Jeff Holcomb Republican
- Protect the 2nd Amendment
- Support small business, job creation, and education
- Fight illegal immigration
Per the campaign site.
About Jeff Holcomb
Jeff Holcomb works as a software consultant and college professor, holds degrees in economics and intelligence studies, and served eight years as a Hernando County Commissioner before being elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2022, per the campaign site. Holcomb is also a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserves with more than 20 years of service, per the campaign site.
$24,150 raised, per Supervisor of Elections filings.
Donald Bigelow Write-In
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. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Donald Bigelow.
August 18 primary result: Jeff Holcomb won the closed Republican primary 59.1 to 40.9 percent over Marvin Baynham, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results, and faces only the write-in line on the November 3 ballot.
Full race pageSchool board
School Board District 5Nonpartisan race · Kara Leigh Champion · Susan Duval
Kara Leigh Champion and Susan Duval are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Hernando County School Board District 5.
Kara Leigh Champion Nonpartisan
- Parental choice and transparency in school decisions
- Teacher retention through less bureaucracy and stronger classroom discipline
- Back to fundamentals: reading, writing, math, and civics
Per the Hernando Sun Q&A.
About Kara Leigh Champion
Kara Leigh Champion is a 2020 University of Central Florida graduate who lists the family business, American Gun and Pawn, as her primary source of income, per WUSF. She has a stepdaughter in Hernando County Schools and a young son, per the same source, and is running for the District 5 seat against incumbent Susan Duval. Kara Leigh Champion appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Hernando County School Board District 5, per the Supervisor of Elections' official qualified-candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
$28,795.76 raised, per Supervisor of Elections filings.
Susan Duval Nonpartisan Incumbent
- Continuous improvement through a shared board focus
- Teacher recruitment via programs like Para to Pro
- Funding well-qualified classroom instruction
Per the Hernando Sun Q&A.
About Susan Duval
_1753212308.jpeg)
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. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
$2,815 raised, per Supervisor of Elections filings.
August 18 result: Kara Champion (38.96 percent) and incumbent Susan Duval (38.95 percent), separated by three votes, advance to a November 3 runoff, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results; the pairing is subject to the canvass.
Full race pageCities and towns
Brooksville City Council Seat 1Nonpartisan race · Betty Erhard · Robert D. Watson
Betty Erhard Nonpartisan
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. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
$1,000 raised, per Supervisor of Elections filings.
Robert D. Watson Nonpartisan
Robert D. Watson appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Brooksville City Council Seat 1, per the Supervisor of Elections' official qualified-candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 3, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Robert D. Watson.
This race was not on the August 18 primary ballot: Betty Erhard and Robert D. Watson meet on the November 3 general ballot, per the Supervisor of Elections' primary results, which do not list it.
Full race pageBrooksville City Council Seat 4Nonpartisan race · Noah Hodges · Jennifer McCoskrie
Noah Hodges Nonpartisan
Noah Hodges is a candidate for Brooksville City Council Seat 4. He and his wife Sarah settled in Brooksville in 2019 after years of moving for his military service, per his campaign's Facebook announcement. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
$5,250 raised, per Supervisor of Elections filings.
Jennifer McCoskrie Nonpartisan
Jennifer McCoskrie is a candidate for Brooksville City Council Seat 4. She has served on the city's Planning and Zoning Commission since being appointed in January 2024, per the City of Brooksville's staff directory. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
$1,000 raised, per Supervisor of Elections filings.
This race was not on the August 18 primary ballot: Noah Hodges and Jennifer McCoskrie meet on the November 3 general ballot, per the Supervisor of Elections' primary results, which do not list it.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Hernando County is split across 2 Florida House districts.
Find your districts by addressFlorida House: 2 districtsDistricts 52, 53
Florida House District 52Pamala Kaye Bivins (D) · Samantha Scott (R)
Pamala Kaye Bivins Democratic
Pamala Kaye Bivins is the Democratic candidate for Florida House District 52. She serves as a Wildwood city commissioner and has a background in local government and community service, according to Florida Politics.
Samantha Scott Republican Incumbent
Samantha Scott is the sitting Florida House member for District 52, per the Florida House member directory. She previously served as Executive Director of the Sumter County Chamber of Commerce and works as a real estate professional and as marketing manager for her family's plumbing business, per her campaign site. She serves on the Lake-Sumter State College Board of Trustees by gubernatorial appointment and chairs the Sumter County Republican Executive Committee, per her campaign site.
Pamala Kaye Bivins (Democratic), Samantha Scott (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Florida House District 52; Samantha Scott 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.
Full race pageFlorida House District 53Christopher Anger (Constitution Party) · Tony Claude (D) · Brian Hawkins (R)
Christopher Anger Constitution Party
- Says he will listen to constituents and base decisions on how issues affect people and align with the Constitution and Bill of Rights
Per the campaign site.
About Christopher Anger
Christopher Anger is the Constitution Party candidate for Florida House District 53 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Florida Division of Elections' certified 2026 General Election candidate list. Anger describes his campaign as grassroots and says his decisions will be guided by the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, per campaign site.
Tony Claude Democratic
- Lowering the cost of gas and utility bills for families
Per Hernando Sun.
About Tony Claude
Tony Claude is an Air Force veteran who served during Operation Desert Storm, according to the Hernando Sun. He is a Democratic candidate for Florida House District 53, citing the cost of gas and utility bills facing local families as a reason for his campaign. No campaign website was found as of September 11, 2026.
Brian Hawkins Republican
- Cutting taxes and government spending
- Strengthening E-Verify requirements for subcontractors
- Defending Second Amendment, property and parental rights
Per the campaign site.
About Brian Hawkins
Brian Hawkins is a U.S. Navy veteran and business owner who chaired the Hernando County Commission before resigning in June 2026 to run for the House 53 seat, per Tampa Bay Beacons and his campaign site.
Christopher Anger (Constitution Party), Tony Claude (Democratic), Brian Hawkins (Republican) are on the November 3 ballot for Florida House District 53. Not on the November ballot: Jeff Holcomb, the sitting member per the 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.
Full race pageAlready decided at the primary
Already decided at the primary3 seats settled at the 2026 primary; not on the November 3 ballot
These seats were settled at the 2026 primary and will not appear on the November 3 ballot. Full fields and profiles stay on each race page.
Commission District 2: Kathryn Birren won the seat.
DECIDED August 18: this ran as a universal primary open to all voters, and Kathryn Birren won the open seat with 31 percent (10,329 votes) over Maxwell Glenn (26 percent), Diane Greenwell, Silvia Dukes and James Scavetta, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results.
4 others ran; see the full raceSchool Board District 1: Dana Lynne Pearce won the seat.
DECIDED August 18: Dana Pearce won with 52.2 percent, unseating incumbent Mark Johnson, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results. This race will not appear on the November 3 ballot.
1 other ran; see the full raceSchool Board District 3: Shannon Rodriguez won the seat.
DECIDED August 18: incumbent Shannon Rodriguez was reelected outright with 65.3 percent over Luciano Vignali, per the Supervisor of Elections' unofficial results. This race will not appear on the November 3 ballot.
1 other ran; see the full raceSee your full ballot
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
Who is on the ballot in Hernando County, Florida on November 3, 2026?
Hernando County sample ballot 2026: see where the commission, school board and brooksville city council candidates stand on schools and the budget. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Florida?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Florida are listed on the Florida election hub. Florida election hub →
Which Hernando County races were already decided at the primary?
3 races were settled at the 2026 primary and will not appear on the November 3 ballot. The results and full candidate fields stay on each race page in the section above.
How do I see my exact Hernando County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
Sample ballot by ZIP code in Hernando County10 ZIP codes
Candidate roster last updated Sep 27, 2026 from official election sources.