Marion County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026

U.S. Army combat veteran, per his campaign website (mattcretul.com). No civilian occupation was stated in fetched sources; he did not respond to the VOTE411 questionnaire.

Priorities: Improving roads and infrastructure, per mattcretul.com · Targeted, manageable growth, per mattcretul.com · Supporting first responders and reviewing the county budget to reduce unnecessary taxes, per mattcretul.com

Raised $40,650 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Medical professional and business owner with 30 years combined experience who operates one of the largest employers in south Marion County; U.S. Army veteran and former firefighter/paramedic with a master's degree from the University of Florida, per his VOTE411 profile.

Priorities: Cut waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars across county departments, per VOTE411 · Stronger enforcement of concurrency so major developments cannot proceed without transportation, utility and public-safety capacity, per Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A · Proactive, data-driven infrastructure management with a unified 5-10 year capital plan and growth paying through impact fees, per Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A

Raised $160,864 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Businessman and Marine Corps veteran with a BA in Human Resources, residing in Ocala, per his VOTE411 profile.

Priorities: Protect taxpayer dollars, promote local jobs, and eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse, per VOTE411 · Slow development by collecting impact fees and reduce wasteful spending, per Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A · Better use of social media and communication tools in government, per Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A

Raised $30,984 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

No occupation verified; he did not respond to the VOTE411 questionnaire and described himself in the Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A only as an 'active and engaged member of this community.'

Priorities: Focus growth within the Urban Growth Boundary, per Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A · Let emergency services, school capacity, and infrastructure availability guide development approvals, per Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A · Advocate for local land-use control against state restrictions such as SB180 and HB399, per Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A

Raised $30,489 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

28.5-year veteran of the Ocala Police Department and business owner of 10 years; a native Marion Countian with eight generations of family roots, per his VOTE411 profile (which lists incumbency as 'No').

Priorities: 'ROADS BEFORE ROOFTOPS' - require developers to pay their fair share through full impact fees, per VOTE411 · Prioritize core services and eliminate wasteful spending, per VOTE411 · Responsible growth that pays its own way with an infrastructure-first approach, per Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A

Raised $38,006 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

No occupation verified; she did not respond to the VOTE411 questionnaire and no biographical details appeared in the Ocala Gazette candidate Q&As she answered.

Priorities: Update impact fees to match planned growth and balance fees with growth needs, per Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A · Departmental efficiency review of the county budget, per Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A · Foresight and citizen input in growth planning, per Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A

Raised $30,960 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Four decades in business, housing, real estate and public policy; opened her first business at 24, served as Florida Realtors president and NAR Vice President of Advocacy, and is a former member of the Marion County Land Development Regulation Commission, per her VOTE411 profile (which lists incumbency as 'No').

Priorities: Prioritize public safety, roads, emergency services and infrastructure in the budget with transparent multiyear revenue forecasts, per VOTE411 · Require infrastructure capacity reviews before development and use corridor-based planning, per Ocala Gazette candidate Q&A · 'Listen. Learn. Lead' - listening sessions, workshops and citizen advisory groups, per VOTE411

Raised $101,117 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Pastor (styled 'Rev.' by the Ocala Gazette) who has served on the Marion County School Board since 2018; holds a PhD plus master's and bachelor's degrees in theology and business administration, per his VOTE411 profile.

Priorities: Attract and retain great teachers with competitive pay, mentoring and reduced paperwork, per VOTE411 · Community engagement - 'the best leaders spend more time listening than talking,' per VOTE411 · Student-first decision-making: 'What's best for our students?', per VOTE411

Raised $9,904 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Retired U.S. Postal Service manager and former Dunnellon postmaster (34 years per the Ocala Gazette; 36 years per his VOTE411 profile); Vietnam-era Air Force veteran with a public administration degree from Florida International University. He lost to Cummings in the 2022 primary.

Priorities: Back to educational fundamentals - 'reading, writing, arithmetic' with phonics-based early literacy, per Ocala Gazette · Restore dignity, respect and institutional support for teachers, including merit pay and classroom authority, per VOTE411 · Fiscal accountability and hands-on oversight of a district he says 'is not performing well and has not for over a decade,' per VOTE411

Raised $4,244 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Retired 20-year Marion County special education teacher, ordained minister (since 2005) and business owner with prior sales/marketing career and nonprofit board service, per the Ocala Gazette and his VOTE411 profile. Running for the open seat vacated by Nancy Thrower.

Priorities: Raise teacher compensation - 'Florida is... last state in terms of starting teacher pay,' per VOTE411 · Classroom safety and teacher satisfaction through a collegial leadership atmosphere, per VOTE411 · Community engagement via PTO meetings and school visits, per VOTE411

Raised $14,209 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Owner of Symmetry Coffee Company in Ocala, U.S. Navy veteran (nuclear machinist mate, 2010-2017) and adjunct business professor at the College of Central Florida with an MBA from Florida Atlantic University; past Education Foundation president, per the Ocala Gazette and VOTE411. Running for the open seat vacated by Nancy Thrower.

Priorities: Student outcomes across all pathways - students should be 'highly educated, happy and healthy,' per Ocala Gazette · Expand Career and Technical Education and trade programs, including military service as a post-graduation option, per Ocala Gazette · Audit program productivity and reallocate spending from programs without return on investment, per VOTE411

Raised $21,925 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Registered nurse with 35 years of operating room/trauma experience, U.S. Army Nurse Corps veteran, and chairwoman of the Marion County Republican Executive Committee who serves on the county textbook review committee, per the Ocala Gazette and VOTE411. Running for the open seat vacated by Nancy Thrower.

Priorities: Cut wasteful spending and redirect resources to math, reading and graduation rates, per Ocala Gazette · School safety, including increased Sheriff's Office oversight and zero-tolerance discipline, per Ocala Gazette · Build a culture where teachers feel protected, heard and valued, with strategic recruitment and retention funds, per VOTE411

Raised $6,960 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Retired high school math teacher (38 years per the Ocala Gazette; 40 years per VOTE411) with long volunteer service in Boy Scouts, 4-H/FFA and Take Stock in Children mentoring. Running for the open seat vacated by Nancy Thrower.

Priorities: 'Helping Students to Succeed' through strategic planning, responsible taxation and transparent communication, per Ocala Gazette · Raise starting teacher pay to the state median and address salary decompression, per VOTE411 · Greater public input, including monthly board town meetings at high schools, per VOTE411

Raised $5,100 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

City manager of Archer, Florida; chairs the Marion County Board of Adjustments and the Citra Community Center, and formerly served as Public Works & Utilities Administrator for Williston, per the Ocala Gazette and VOTE411.

Priorities: Safer schools, per Ocala Gazette and VOTE411 · Responsible finances - redirect funds from 'administrative bloat' toward teacher compensation, per VOTE411 · Improved student performance with fundamentals, career pathways and accountability, per VOTE411

Raised $7,847 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Marion County Public Schools graduate, classroom teacher and school leader with a master's degree in Educational Leadership; has served as dean at elementary, middle and high school levels, per his VOTE411 profile.

Priorities: Address systemic failures - 'we are failing about 5% of students in every school' - with increased intervention funding, per VOTE411 · Competitive starting salaries and meaningful raises for teachers, with protected planning time, per VOTE411 · Confidential, independently administered surveys so teachers, staff, parents and students can speak freely, per VOTE411

Raised $2,820 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

Incumbent school board member (four years) and current board chair; former teacher and school administrator with a doctorate in educational leadership who owns two preschools generating about $1.5 million annually, per the Ocala Gazette and VOTE411.

Priorities: Recruiting and retaining staff, including fixing pay compression for experienced teachers, per Ocala Gazette and VOTE411 · Student-centered budgeting and planning for district growth, per Ocala Gazette · Expanding vocational opportunities, per Ocala Gazette

Raised $41,100 · per Supervisor of Elections filings

No information found. This race does not appear in the Ocala Gazette qualifying roundup or the VOTE411 Florida race index, and the Marion County Supervisor of Elections site could not be fetched.

No information found. This race does not appear in the Ocala Gazette qualifying roundup or the VOTE411 Florida race index, and the Marion County Supervisor of Elections site could not be fetched.