Marion County, Florida

Marion County School Board District 3

What this office does

School board member. The school board is the governing body of a public school district. It hires and evaluates the superintendent, adopts the district budget, sets policies on curriculum, discipline, attendance boundaries and facilities, and approves contracts and collective bargaining agreements. Day-to-day operations belong to the superintendent; the board sets direction and holds the administration accountable.

This race. Nonpartisan: candidates appear without party labels. The sitting officeholder, Eric R. Cummings, is on the ballot.

Florida › Marion County › Marion County School Board District 3

Decided at the 2026 primary: Eric R. Cummings won the seat

DECIDED August 18: incumbent Eric Cummings was reelected outright with 56 percent over Steve Swett, per unofficial results. This race will not appear on the November 3 ballot.

Winner

Eric R. Cummings

Nonpartisan Incumbent

Top priorities

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

Per the VOTE411.

Biography

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.

Campaign finance

$9,904 raised · county campaign-finance filings

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Also ran in the primary

Steve Swett

Nonpartisan

Top priorities

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

Per Ocala Gazette.

Biography

Steve Swett is a 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.

Campaign finance

$4,244 raised · county campaign-finance filings

Next on your ballotMarion County School Board District 4

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Voting info and more

Questions about this race

Who is running for Marion County School Board District 3 in 2026?

The Marion County School Board District 3 race was decided at the 2026 primary - Eric R. Cummings won the seat - and does not appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot. 2 candidates were on the primary ballot: Eric R. Cummings and Steve Swett. Candidate information follows official Marion County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the Marion County School Board District 3 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 Marion 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 Marion County Supervisor of Elections filings, last verified September 27, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

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

The rest of your Marion County ballot

8 tracked races in Marion County, Florida. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot

Marion County School Board District 5 Marion Soil and Water Conservation District 5 Florida House District 20 See all 8 Marion County races

Candidate profiles

Eric R. Cummings, full profile Steve Swett, full profile Official Florida election office