Florida Primary Election
Tuesday, August 18, 2026 · 88 days away
U.S. House, U.S. Senate, Governor, statewide offices
What’s being decided
A primary election determines which candidates advance to the November general election. Voters in each party select their nominee, and the winners face each other in the fall.
Florida holds an closed primary — only voters registered with a party may vote in that party's primary.
Candidates
Governor
Republican
Jimmy Patronis has served as Florida's Chief Financial Officer since 2017 and is a candidate for governor in 2026, the seat being vacated by term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis. He previously served in the Florida House of Representatives. Patronis has built his campaign on fiscal conservatism, opposition to what he calls government overreach, and a commitment to continuing Florida's low-tax, low-regulation approach.
Democratic
Nikki Fried served as Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture from 2019 to 2023, the only Democrat elected to statewide office in Florida in that period. She ran for governor in 2022, losing the Democratic primary to Charlie Crist. She is seeking the Democratic nomination for the open 2026 governor's race created by DeSantis's term limit, positioning herself as the most prominent Democratic contender in what remains a competitive but difficult landscape for Democrats in Florida.
Voter information
Registration deadline
October 5, 2026 (29 days before the November 3 general)