Democratic candidates qualify in all 5 Polk County legislative races

Gary White

Lakeland Ledger

USA TODAY NETWORK

Democrats will challenge each of the five incumbent Republicans facing election in the Florida Legislature.

The qualifying period for state races ended June 12 at noon. In order to qualify, candidates had to pay fees of $1,782 for those with party affiliation or $1,188 for no-party candidates. Alternatively, candidates could qualify by submitting a petition with 1,275 verified signatures of voters.

Primary elections will take place Aug. 18. The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3.

One of two Senate districts including Polk County is up for election this year. Sen. Colleen Burton, R-Lakeland, is seeking a second and final four-year term.

Alfred Reynolds, a Democrat from Auburndale, qualified to run against Burton.

Florida House seats are up for election every two years, meaning that all four representatives of Polk County must run for reelection.

Primary challenge for Albert

In District 48, two Democrats qualified to appear on the ballot. Rep. Jon Albert, R-Frostproof, seeking a second term, will also face a Republican primary challenger.

Isabella Cerqueira, a Democrat from Poinciana, was a late entrant, filing to run June 9. The other Democrat in the race, Alethea Pugh of Dundee, filed in late May.

District 48 encompasses southeast Polk County, including most of Winter Haven.

Cerqueira, 22, is a 2022 graduate of Polk State College Chain of Lakes Collegiate High School. She said she is now a pre-med student at the University of Central Florida.

Cerqueira said she was raised by a single mother in a low-income household and has worked steadily since age 15. She said she was motivated to run in part by her concerns over the loss of citrus groves in Polk County.

'We are currently at a crossroads as our county has experienced tremendous growth,' she said. 'Although having new residents, businesses and other opportunities can be a great thing, growth without strategic planning can cause more harm than good. When talking with residents, the same concerns frequently pop up, including how traffic is constantly congested, housing is unaffordable, farmlands are disappearing with minimal environmental conservation, and the need for stronger educational opportunities and support is critical.'

Pugh served briefly on the Dundee Town Council after being appointed to fill a vacancy in December 2024.

Another Democrat, Matthew Crowley of Winter Haven, filed to run in March but said he withdrew and is now supporting Cerqueira.

Albert will face a Republican primary challenge from Jerry Carter of Winter Haven, who filed to run only two days before the deadline. Carter, 68, served on the Polk County Commission in the 1990s and is a previous chair of the Polk County Republican Party.

Carter finished second to Albert in the 2024 primary for what was then an open seat. Albert claimed 35% of the vote in the six-person race, and Carter finished second with 24.6%.

'He and I were the top vote-getters the last time, and we don’t have runoffs any more, so I consider this a runoff,' Carter said.

While some elections require runoffs pitting the top two candidates if no one reaches 50%, that rule does not apply to legislative races.

Kincart Jonsson faces one challenger

Rep. Jennifer Kincart Jonsson, R-Lakeland, will face Robert Anzalone, a Democrat from Lakeland, in the general election for District 49. Jonsson is seeking a second term in the district, which covers southwest Polk, including Bartow, Fort Meade and Mulberry.

Anzalone filed to run in March. As The Ledger previously reported, he is a computer engineer and has compiled 770 hours of training with the Florida State Law Enforcement Academy.

Two opponents for Canady

Jennifer Canady, R-Lakeland, will face two opponents in November as she seeks a third term in District 50, which covers the Lakeland area.

Ricky Santiago of Lakeland qualified for the ballot as a Democrat, and Jarvis Washington of Lakeland filed a week before the qualifying deadline to run as a no-party candidate.

Washington, 32, is a Lakeland native and a graduate of Kathleen High School. He is a coordinator at the Lakeland branch of Tampa Bay Academy of Hope.

Washington is also the founder of Black Lives Matters Restoration Polk Inc.

He and his wife also operate a nonprofit, The World Is Mine Foundation, dedicated to their late son, Mes’sia.

'I know that Lakeland, Polk County in general, was moving toward more of a nonpartisan or independent voter polls – around, last time I checked, about 18% to 22%,' Washington said. 'So I think I have a great opportunity here.'

Santiago, vice president of the Florida chapter of the Extended Congressional Delegation for Puerto Rico, filed to run in April.

House Republicans have chosen Canady as the presumptive speaker of the House for the 2028-2029 term.

Rival for new incumbent Hilary Holley

In District 51, an incumbent Republican is running for a first full term.

Rep. Hilary Holley, R-Polk City, won a special election in April to fill a vacancy created when Josie Tomkow resigned to run for a Florida Senate seat in Hillsborough County.

Holley, the only Republican on the ballot, will face Democrat Octavio Hernandez of Davenport. Hernandez had given notice that he would collect the required 1,275 signatures needed to qualify, but in the end he paid a qualifying fee, as did all the other local candidates.

District 51 encompasses northern Polk County.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.

Isabella Cerqueira, a Democrat from Poinciana, filed in the final week to run for the Florida House in District 48. Rep. Jon Albert, R-Frostproof, is seeking a second term.

Provided by Isabella Cerqueira

Jarvis Washington of Lakeland filed a week before the qualifying deadline to run for the Florida House as a no-party candidate in District 50, which covers the Lakeland area.

Provided by Jarvis Washington