WUFT’s 2016 Florida Voting Guide

WUFT News is covering contested races across north central Florida as we never have before.
Below you’ll find narratives of every county, state or federal election in which a candidate faces more than a write-in challenge. It should go without saying, but uncontested races are not included here. You already know who won those, so our time as democratic participants is better spent learning about the people seeking your vote.
Below each race we’ve covered so far, you will find a day-by-day schedule of when we will hit other races — right up until Nov. 8.
As the saying goes, all politics is local, and you can count on WUFT News for the most comprehensive coverage of these races through the moment when the last precinct has reported.

Meet your candidates

Race Candidates
State House District 10 Jerry Bullard (Democrat)
vs.
Elizabeth Porter (Republican)
Bullard Porter
State House District 19 Bobby Payne (R)
vs.
Joe Snodgrass (D)
Payne Snodgrass
State House District 21 Chuck Clemons (R)
vs.
Marihelen Wheeler (D)
Clemons Wheeler
State House District 23 Stan McClain (R)
vs.
Rick Perry (D)
Payne Snodgrass
State House District 35 Ramon Gutierrez (D)
vs.
Blaise Ingoglia (R)
Payne Snodgrass
State Senate District 8 Keith Perry (R)
vs.
Rod Smith (D)
Perry Smith
Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell (D)
vs.
Jack Jacobs (R)
Darnell Jacobs
Bradford County commission District 3 Chris Dougherty (R)
vs.
Lila Sellars (D)
Sellars Dougherty
Bradford County commission District 5 Frank Durrance (Republican)
vs.
Eddie Lewis (Democrat)
Sellars Dougherty
Bradford County school board District 2 Jim Peronto (non-partisan)
vs.
Charnelle Whittemore (non-partisan)
Peronto Whittemore
Bradford County schools superintendent Stacey Shuford Creighton (R)
vs.
Chad Farnsworth (no party affiliation)
vs.
Teddy Key (D)
Farnsworth Creighton Key
Bradford County sheriff John Hodges (NPA)
vs.
Gordon Smith (R)
Hodges Smith
Bradford County tax collector Teresa Gaskins Phillips (NPA)
vs.
Linda Lee (NPA)
Phillips Lee
Citrus County commission District 1 Duane Godfrey (D)
vs.
Jeff Kinnard (R)
Phillips Lee
Citrus County commission District 3 Timothy Langer (D)
vs.
Jimmie Smith (R)
Phillips Lee
Citrus County commission District 5 Brian Coleman (R)
vs.
Hank Hemrick (NPA)
Phillips Lee
Citrus County school board District 4 Sandy Counts (NPA)
vs.
Bill Murray (NPA)
Counts Murray
Citrus County sheriff Michael Klyap (NPA)
vs.
Michael Prendergast (Republican)
Klyap Prendergast
Columbia County Commission District 5 Scarlet Frisina (non-partisan)
vs.
Tim Murphy (non-partisan)
Dixie County commission District 1 Micah Jon Davis (NPA)
vs.
Gene Higginbotham (NPA)
Dixie County commission District 3 Mark Hatch (NPA)
vs.
Jody Robson (NPA)
Dixie County commission District 5 Benita Corbin (REP)
vs.
David Osteen (NPA)
vs.
Brandon Ross (NPA)
vs.
James Valentine (NPA)
Dixie County sheriff Christopher Cambron (NPA)
vs.
Dewey Hatcher (NPA)
Dixie County schools superintendent Jimmie L. Green Jr. (NPA)
vs.
Cheryl C. Pridgeon (NPA)
vs.
Mike Thomas (NPA)
Gilchrist County commission District 3 Richard Esseck (NPA)
vs.
Todd Gray (R)
Gilchrist County tax collector Barbara Merritt (D)
vs.
Donna Stacy (R)
Hernando County commission District 1

Jimmy Lodato (D)
vs.
Nick Nicholson (R)

Hernando County commission District 3 John Allocco (R)
vs.
Diane Rowden (D)
Hernando County commission District 5 Steve Champion (R)
vs.
Paul Douglas (D)
Hernando County property appraiser John Emerson (R)
vs.
Jeff Huffman (D)
Hernando County school board District 4 Gus Guadagnino (non-partisan)
vs.
William Vonada (non-partisan)
Hernando County supervisor of elections Shirley Anderson (R)
vs.
Debra Myers (D)
Lafayette County tax collector Shelia Bates Adams (D)
vs.
Charles Hewett Jr. (R)
Marion County commission District 1 David Moore (R)
vs.
John Townsend (NPA)
Marion County sheriff Dennis McFatten (D)
vs.
Billy Woods (R)
Putnam County commission District 1 Harry Banks (D)
vs.
Bill Pickens (R)
Putnam County commission District 3 Douglas Hays (NPA)
vs.
Tommy Stilwell (R)
Putnam County commission District 5 Buddy Goddard (R)
vs.
Walton Pellicer (D)
Putnam County schools superintendent Phyllis Criswell (R)
vs.
Rick Surrency (D)
Putnam County sheriff Gator DeLoach (D)
vs.
Edison Edison (NPA)
vs.
Jonathan Kinney (R)
Suwannee County commission District 1 Jesse Caruthers (NPA)
vs.
William Hale (D)
vs.
John Rothenberger (R)
Suwannee County commission District 5 Christopher Furst (D)
vs.
Ronnie Richardson (R)
Suwannee County schools superintendent Ted Roush (R)
vs.
Julie Ulmer (D)
vs.
Dianne Westcott (I)
Suwannee County sheriff Fred Martin (NPA)
vs.
Sam St. John (D)
vs.
Alton Williams III (R)
Union County clerk of court Kellie Connell (R)
vs.
Donna Jackson (D)
Union County commission District 3 Eric Hall (D)
vs.
James Tallman (R)
U.S. representative District 2 Neal Dunn (R)
vs.
Walter Dartland (D)
vs.
Rob Lapham (Libertarian)
U.S. representative District 3 Ken McGurn (D)
vs.
Tom Wells (NPA)
vs.
Ted Yoho (R)
U.S. representative District 11 Dave Koller (D)
vs.
Daniel Webster (R)
vs.
Bruce Ray Riggs (I)