As part of our commitment to providing you with what you need to make an informed decision in the 2026 elections, News 6 joined with the News Collaborative of Central Florida to present the Voting Central Florida 2026 Voter’s Guide.
Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.
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[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]
Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in those elections. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.
Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.
Florida House District 38 Republican candidates
The Florida House District 38 election is a Republican primary for registered Republicans living in the district. The winner will move on to the general election in November. The current incumbent, David Smith, is term-limited.
Florida House District 38 represents part of Seminole County in Central Florida.
The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.
Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.
Our News Collaborative partners at Oviedo Community News compiled the candidate responses for Florida House District 38. Below is an excerpt of each candidate’s profile. To see the full responses, go to the Oviedo Community News candidate page link for each candidate.
You can also see the full Oviedo Community News Voting Guide HERE.
Emily Duda Buckley
WEBSITE: www.emilydudabuckley.com/
Oviedo Community News Candidate Profile: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/emily-duda-buckley/
Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race was asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact-checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.
If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them? — Top problem and your suggested solution:
- Affordability and the rising cost of living. Central Florida families are being squeezed by rising property taxes, insurance premiums and housing costs. My solution is direct relief: Property tax relief for homeowners paired with disciplined, live-within-your-means budgeting, and lowering the government-imposed costs — permitting delays, impact fees, and unnecessary regulation — that quietly drive up the price of a home.
- Housing supply and attainability. Too many young families, teachers, first responders and seniors are getting priced out of the communities they serve. I would build on the Live Local Act by streamlining and digitizing the permitting process with clear deadlines, encouraging targeted zoning reform such as accessory dwelling units where they fit the community, expanding down-payment assistance for first-time buyers, and clearing the way for employer-sponsored workforce housing.
- A cost of doing business that is choking job creation and pushing good jobs out of reach. My solution is to keep Florida pro-business by cutting red tape, streamlining permitting and licensing, and investing in workforce pathways — from the skilled trades to healthcare — through partnerships with local employers, technical schools, and our state colleges, so parents can find good jobs close to home.
For challengers and open seats: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I’m a lifelong Central Floridian, a mother and an external affairs professional with my family’s longtime Florida company, A. Duda & Sons. I’ve spent my career at the table with state agencies, the Legislature, and regulated industries — including service with the Florida House Appropriations Committee and as Legislative Affairs Director for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services — and my community service has centered on children and families, including board roles with the Florida Association of Foster and Adoptive Parents, 4Roots Foundation, and Kids House of Seminole. That combination of deep roots here, hands-on policy experience, and a heart for this community is what I bring to this race. Mine is a grassroots, voter-contact-driven campaign, and I’ll be an accessible, principled representative focused on keeping Central Florida affordable.
According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say housing affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? Affordability comes down to two things: expanding supply and lowering the costs government adds. I support building on the Live Local Act to:
- Streamline and digitize permitting, with clear deadlines and automatic approvals when local governments miss them, so supply catches up with demand;
- Open additional zoning tools, including accessory dwelling units, where they fit the character of a community;
- Expand employer-sponsored workforce housing so families can live near where they work;
- Encourage homeownership through down-payment assistance for first-time buyers;
- Deliver property tax relief and reduce impact fees and regulatory costs that inflate the price of a home.
On insurance, I support building on the recent reforms that reduced fraud and frivolous litigation, encouraging more carriers to compete here, and strengthening mitigation programs like My Safe Florida Home so families can harden their homes and earn lower rates.
Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes, and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? Yes. Rising property taxes are among the top concerns I hear at the door, and government too often treats homeowners as the default funding source for every new line item. I support meaningful, structural property tax relief for Florida homeowners. I would not replace it by shifting the burden onto renters or commercial property — that just raises the price of everything from groceries to rent — and I don’t support new or increased taxes to backfill it. The right offset is the standard Florida families live by: living within our means. Florida’s economy is growing and local revenue is growing with it; that organic growth, paired with real spending discipline — eliminating waste, ending duplicative programs, and prioritizing core services like public safety — is how we protect essential services without breaking household budgets. Any relief should be phased in responsibly so local governments can adjust.
Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? Florida’s utility regulators should put ratepayers first. Large industrial users like data centers place enormous new demand on the grid, and residential customers should not be forced to subsidize the cost of the generation, transmission, and water capacity those facilities require. I would expect the Public Service Commission to ensure large users pay the full, fair cost of the infrastructure they drive, to demand real transparency and scrutiny in rate cases rather than rubber-stamping increases, and to prioritize reliable, diverse, and affordable generation. Utilities should be held accountable for keeping rates as low as possible while keeping the lights on.
What do you think is the biggest environmental issue the government should address in Florida? Protecting Florida’s water comes first for me. Our wetlands, watersheds, springs, and the aquifer are the resources our children and grandchildren will depend on. I support continued investment in water quality and wastewater infrastructure that keeps pace with our growth, and I support restoring Florida’s authority over Section 404 permitting — no one has a greater stake in safeguarding our waters than the state itself, and state administration brings efficiency and predictability while upholding strong protections. Safeguarding our water is ultimately about protecting the families who will call Florida home for generations.
Marcus Hyatt
WEBSITE: www.marcushyatt.org/
Oviedo Community News Candidate Profile: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/marcus-hyatt/
Candidate Q&A: This candidate did not respond to multiple requests to answer questions that were based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race was asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. OCN reporters emailed, texted and called the candidates, who were given several weeks to respond. Where information was available, we tried to fill in the gaps.
If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them? During an interview on the Roger Franklin Williams Show, Hyatt said the top issue is affordability – property taxes, gas, and even going to the movies. He said he would like to increase the homestead exemption for seniors. He also wants to address health care and issues with the Affordable Care Act as well, but didn’t expand how. He also said school vouchers have been a success and should be continued.
According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say housing affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? Hyatt did not respond to this questionnaire. Hyatt told the Roger Franklin Williams show that the key to lowering costs is to increase the number of homeowners’ insurance companies doing business in Florida. “If we want prices to go down, we have to increase competition,” Hyatt said. “Those are basic conservative principles. The more competition you have in the market, that’s when you see some of those prices go down. We’re already starting to see that.”
Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes, and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? Hyatt didn’t say whether he would vote for Amendment 3, the homestead exemption expansion amendment. But he did say people are interested in the amendment, and he wants local governments held accountable for spending. You can read more about Hyatt here.