The 2026 election season came to an end Tuesday night. Here are some takeaways from state and local races.
READ MORE: See the full list of unofficial election results
Voter turnout
Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa Counties all reported more than 50% turnout. Okaloosa has a 52.65% turnout compared to 56.36% in the 2022 midterm election, Santa Rosa had a 51.43% compared to 52.06%, and Escambia saw an increase with 56.14% turnout compared to 51.8% in 2022.
A new governor and Ashley Moody wins Senate seat after a tight race
Florida elected its first Black governor Tuesday night, with Republican Byron Donalds winning by a slim margin with 50.1% of the votes.
Republican Ashley Moody also won the Florida Senate in a tight race against Democrat Angie Nixon. This was the first time Moody was on the ballot, as she was appointed to the seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis when Marco Rubio was named Secretary of State. Nixon, a progressive Democrat, won the Democratic primary in an upset in August.
U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis, a Republican, will also continue to represent Florida's First Congressional District, winning his race against Democratic challenger Gay Valimont.
Local races
The Escambia County Commissioner District 4 race is likely to go into a recount with incumbent Ashley Hofberger holding a lead by just 11 votes against challenger Joe Vinson.
“I am just thankful for everyone who’s come out and volunteered and helped with the campaign and waved a sign and helped us really get our message out there,” said Hofberger on election night. “And, for everyone who came out and voted, I really do appreciate that. And I have a lot of respect for the process and for Robert Bender’s office, so it looks like there will be a recount. I’m eager to see what the next few days hold.”
Vinson said he hopes a recount will shift in his favor, but shared he was “gratified that so many people have supported me.”
“This was always going to be an uphill battle,” he said. “And the fact that it was so close is surprising to a lot of people who didn’t think I had any kind of chance. I’m not going to count any chickens before they hatch, but I hope in the end I will eke out a small advantage and come out on top. Either way, it’s been quite a race.”
Mike Kohler won re-election for Escambia County Commissioner District 2 race. And Sherri Myers will be returning to Pensacola City Council, winning her race against incumbent Charles Bare for District 2. In the City of Fort Walton Beach, 10 candidates were vying for four open seats. The winners were Denise Dierker, Matthew Turpin, Schuyler Black and Tyler Capelotti. Incumbents Gloria DeBerry and T. Payne Walker lost their seats.
In school board races, Santa Rosa School District incumbent Marie Locklin won re-election against challenger Jill Broxson Teston, and in Okaloosa County, Jerry Buckman won the open school board seat against J.D. Peacock.
Amendments and local surtaxes
The highly debated Amendment 3 passed with 62% of voter approval. Amendment 1, which would have increased the amount of money allotted for a reserve fund, failed with only 40% of the vote, and Amendment 2, which would exempt certain farm equipment for agricultural use from property taxes, got 58% of the needed 60% of the vote.
In the panhandle, voters overwhelmingly supported renewing one-cent and half-cent sales taxes to support local needs.
In Escambia County, residents showed support for the county one-cent sales tax with 74.95% of the vote. In Okaloosa, voters renewed the county’s half-cent infrastructure sales surtax with 68.84% of the vote.
Voters in Santa Rosa County approved the county half-cent surtax with 73.01% of the vote and the school renewal sales surtax with 67.37% of the vote. Santa Rosa County Commissioner Chairman Colten Wright shared his approval on election night.
“I’m excited voters made the right choice and chose to renew that strong investment in public safety and our infrastructure in Santa Rosa County,” he said, noting that the tax doesn’t just fall to residents, but also to visitors of the county.