elections Archive

With U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis taking 71 percent of the vote districtwide in the Aug. 18 Florida primary, the first-term congressman from Panama City will face off against Democratic challenger Gay Valimont in the November general election

Santa Rosa County voters flipped one seat on the Santa Rosa County School Board during the Florida primary on Aug. 18, with the race over who will hold that seat moving to the November general election.

Santa Rosa County voters ousted both sitting commissioners on the ballot during the Florida primary on Aug. 18, completing a turnover of four of the board’s five seats in four years.

Residents of the city of Milton will cast votes in two races this November, as most of the races have already been decided after the candidate qualifying period came to a close Aug. 10.

Santa Rosa County School Board member Linda Sanborn says her case for a third term comes down to one rule: Pay teachers and staff as much as the district can afford, and cut elsewhere when money falls short.

The City of Milton announced that those interested in running for City Council can qualify for the upcoming November election until Aug. 10.

Santa Rosa County candidates have raised over $300,000 this election cycle, with five candidates holding more than half of all the funds raised as early voting begins.

As the Aug. 18 primary election approaches, campaign finance reports show how much candidates have raised and spent in Santa Rosa County’s county commission and school board races. The following totals reflect the most recent campaign finance filings.

The race for Florida’s 1st Congressional District is heating up ahead of the November 2026 general election as Gulf Breeze resident and Democratic nominee Gay Valimont announced her intention to run for a third time, hoping to unseat incumbent Rep. Jimmy Patronis.

2026 will serve as an opportunity for many Floridians to elect new leaders or reaffirm their satisfaction with those already representing them in local, state and federal offices.
In Santa Rosa County, primary elections are set for Aug. 18, with early voting from Aug. 3 to Aug. 15. The general election will be held Nov. 3, with early voting from Oct. 19 to Oct. 31.

58 votes and .2 percent of the vote.

That is all that separates Kerry Smith from Jeff Ates in the Santa Rosa County Commission District 2 seat.

That .2 per cent of the vote is significant as an automatic recount is triggered when vote-getters are not separated by more than .5 percent of the vote.