Polk County 2026 Primary Election Results: Wilson Edges Quinn and a School Board Race Heads to November
Rick Wilson beat Kelly Quinn by 1,883 votes in the race for Polk County Commission District 2, the closest contest on a primary ballot that drew 94,567 Polk County voters Tuesday.
Both ran as Republicans, and because no candidate from another party qualified for the seat, the race was open to every registered voter in the district under Florida’s universal primary provision.
One race isn’t over. In School Board District 3, no candidate cleared a majority in the three-way nonpartisan contest, so front-runner Kate Wallace and second-place finisher Victor Sims advance to a runoff on the November 3 general election ballot. Sarah Corona was eliminated.
The other two school board seats were decided outright. Incumbent Kay Fields held District 5 over challenger Sam Neelam, and Justin Sharpless won District 6 over Kasen Chase Hampton. Both circuit judge races were settled as well, with Chris P. Spath winning Group 23 and Andrea DeMichael winning Group 24. Judicial races in Florida are nonpartisan, and a candidate who wins a majority in the primary is elected.
Polk County 2026 Primary Election Results
Unofficial final results, 178 of 178 precincts reporting. Posted 9:56 p.m., Aug. 18, 2026.
| Candidate | Percent | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| County Commission, District 2 | ||
| Rick WilsonWinner | 51.10% | 43,733 |
| Kelly Quinn | 48.90% | 41,850 |
| School Board, District 3 | ||
| Kate WallaceRunoff | 45.07% | 39,265 |
| Victor SimsRunoff | 35.83% | 31,212 |
| Sarah Corona | 19.10% | 16,640 |
| School Board, District 5 | ||
| Kay FieldsWinner | 57.32% | 50,007 |
| Sam Neelam | 42.68% | 37,231 |
| School Board, District 6 | ||
| Justin SharplessWinner | 67.40% | 57,754 |
| Kasen Chase Hampton | 32.60% | 27,931 |
| Circuit Judge, 10th Judicial Circuit, Group 23 | ||
| Chris P. SpathWinner | 63.26% | 55,751 |
| Lakeisha Latoya Babers | 36.74% | 32,382 |
| Circuit Judge, 10th Judicial Circuit, Group 24 | ||
| Andrea DeMichaelWinner | 55.92% | 47,687 |
| Candice Dixon | 44.08% | 37,597 |
| State House, District 48 (Republican Primary) | ||
| Jonathan AlbertWinner | 61.04% | 8,191 |
| Jerry Carter | 38.96% | 5,229 |
| Candidate | Percent | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Governor (Republican) | ||
| Byron DonaldsLed in Polk | 39.30% | 20,832 |
| Jay Collins | 30.29% | 16,058 |
| James Fishback | 11.08% | 5,875 |
| Bobby Williams | 9.97% | 5,285 |
| Paul Renner | 6.67% | 3,536 |
| Six other candidates, combined | 2.68% | 1,423 |
| Governor (Democratic) | ||
| David Jolly and Gwen GrahamLed in Polk | 58.59% | 18,329 |
| Dayna Marie Foster | 17.84% | 5,581 |
| Evelyn Castillo-Bach | 8.23% | 2,575 |
| Dotie Joseph | 8.17% | 2,556 |
| Thomas Eloy Fernandez | 4.12% | 1,289 |
| Stephann Norman | 3.05% | 955 |
| U.S. Senate (Republican) | ||
| Ashley MoodyLed in Polk | 82.34% | 42,811 |
| Chris Gleason | 11.99% | 6,233 |
| Ernest “Ernie” Rivera | 3.94% | 2,046 |
| Neelam Taneja Perry | 1.73% | 902 |
| U.S. Senate (Democratic) | ||
| Angie NixonLed in Polk | 62.09% | 19,470 |
| Alex Vindman | 37.91% | 11,886 |
| Chief Financial Officer (Republican) | ||
| Blaise IngogliaLed in Polk | 57.94% | 28,886 |
| Frank William Collige | 42.06% | 20,972 |
| Chief Financial Officer (Democratic) | ||
| Annette TaddeoLed in Polk | 64.93% | 19,854 |
| Earle Ford | 35.07% | 10,722 |
| Commissioner of Agriculture (Republican) | ||
| Wilton SimpsonLed in Polk | 63.96% | 32,857 |
| Matt Taylor | 36.04% | 18,517 |
Statewide primaries are decided by voters across Florida. The figures above reflect the Polk County portion of the vote only. Results are unofficial until certified by the county canvassing board. Source: Polk County Supervisor of Elections.
Turnout Landed Between the Last Two Cycles
Countywide turnout reached 20.83 percent of 453,991 registered voters, a rebound from the last primary but short of the last midterm cycle.
Polk recorded 17.21 percent turnout in the August 2024 primary and 23.48 percent in August 2022. That puts this year roughly 3.6 points above 2024 and 2.7 points below 2022.
The comparison is official just yet. The 2022 and 2024 figures are official results certified after canvassing, while Tuesday’s number is unofficial. Provisional ballots and cured vote-by-mail ballots are still being processed, so the 2026 total will likely rise slightly before certification.
The Polk County Supervisor of Elections office posted unofficial final results at 9:56 p.m. Tuesday, with Election Day, early voting and vote-by-mail ballots all completely reported. The general election is Tuesday, November 3.
The Citrus Tea News does not endorse candidates and reports on all races without partisan preference. We accept paid political advertising, which is clearly labeled and offered to every candidate in a race at the same rates. Advertising has no influence on our coverage. School Board District 5 candidate Sam Neelam is a current advertiser with The Citrus Tea News. That relationship had no bearing on this report.
Sources: Polk County Supervisor of Elections, 2026 Primary Election Unofficial Final Results, enr.electionsfl.org, August 18, 2026; Polk County Supervisor of Elections, 2024 Primary Election Official Final Results, enr.electionsfl.org, August 20, 2024; Polk County Supervisor of Elections, 2022 Primary Election Official Final Results, enr.electionsfl.org, August 23, 2022
