Your August 18 Primary Ballot: Every Wesley Chapel Race and Candidate

Wesley Chapel voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, August 18, for Florida's statewide primary — and depending on how you're registered, your ballot could include everything from the U.S. Senate race to the contest that decides who sits on the Pasco County School Board. Below is a plain-English guide to the contested races and candidates Wesley Chapel residents can expect to see.

One important thing to understand up front: Florida runs a closed primary. According to the Florida Department of State, that means in most partisan races only voters registered with that party can cast a ballot — registered Republicans vote in Republican primaries, registered Democrats in Democratic primaries. The races listed below are only those where a primary is actually needed; contests with one candidate per party don't appear on the August ballot.

Federal Races

U.S. Senate

The Senate seat draws contested primaries on both sides of the aisle this year.

U.S. House (Democratic primaries only)

Wesley Chapel sits near the seam of two congressional districts, and registered Democrats will see a House primary depending on where they live.

• U.S. Representative, District 12 (Dem): Darren McAuley, Kimberly Overman
• U.S. Representative, District 15 (Dem): Christopher Irizarry, Robert People

State of Florida Races

Governor

With Gov. Ron DeSantis term-limited, the open governor's race has drawn one of the longest candidate lists on the ballot. The Republican primary is especially crowded; U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds has led most early public polling of the GOP field, according to polling tracked by The New York Times.

Chief Financial Officer

• Republican: Blaise Ingoglia (incumbent), Frank William Collige
• Democrat: Earle Ford, Annette Taddeo

Commissioner of Agriculture

• Republican: Wilton Simpson (incumbent), Matt Taylor
• Democrat: Joey Mendoza Atkins, Donald A. "Don" Prichard

Judicial Races — Open to All Voters

Judicial contests are nonpartisan, so every registered Wesley Chapel voter — regardless of party — can weigh in on these two Circuit Court seats.

• Circuit Court Judge, 6th District, Group 39: Elizabeth "Liz" Constantine, Stefen Diskey
• Circuit Court Judge, 6th District, Group 44: Oxalis Garcia, Elizabeth "Liz" Jack

Pasco County Races

County Commissioner — District 5 (Republican primary)

Although the seat is elected countywide, this primary is open only to registered Republicans: Lisa Yeager (incumbent) faces Jonathan Deckard.

School Board — Open to All Voters

For many local families, the School Board races may be the most consequential names on the ballot. These seats are nonpartisan and elected countywide, so all registered voters can participate — and the August primary could decide some of them outright.

How to Make Sure You're Ready

This is a guide to the contested primary races affecting Wesley Chapel voters, drawn from the candidate slate and verified against official state and county election resources. Because Florida is a closed-primary state, the exact ballot you receive depends on your party registration and your precise district.

For more local election coverage and updates as the August 18 primary approaches, bookmark Wesley Chapel Community and browse our government & politics and education sections for related stories. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X, and join the conversation in our Community Forum to tell your neighbors which races you're watching most closely.