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 party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.
However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.
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 39 Republican candidates
The Florida House District 39 election is a Republican primary for registered Republicans living in the district. The winner will move on to the general election in November.
Florida House District 39 represents parts of Orange and Seminole counties 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 39. 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.
Doug Bankson - Incumbent
WEBSITE: www.dougbankson.com/
Oviedo Community News Candidate Profile: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/doug-bankson-2/
Top issues in your race
If elected, what are the THREE most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them? In the boxes below, please list each issue and how you will address them:
YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Affordability - 1. Continue my work to reduce insurance costs for both property and auto through maintaining the tort reform and increasing OIR oversight by holding insurance company presidents that bankrupt companies accountable and unable to simply start a new company. 2. Regarding supplementing the lost tax revenue for local governments, there is a statewide 35% reduction in revenue, although disproportionate among municipalities, especially in more rural settings. This will require a trust fund to be established from which grants will be allocated, and equitable standards for grant application protected from political motivations. That being said, there are several ways we can approach this: a minimal 1% sales tax increase, 6% sales tax at the time of purchase with proceeds set into a trust fund for more affected cities, a small surcharge on tourism stays that supply the trust fund, and an effort to combine first responder services, and other various revenue streams such as a front-facing license plate on vehicles, tiered on-ramp approach to replace dependency on homestead tax revenue, and at minimum we should match the 1980 homestead exemption of $25,000 when the average home cost $45,000 making it a 56% exemption at the time. In 2026, the average home is $382,000, so had we maintained a percentage basis, that would have been $214.000. This is another justification for the necessity to increase the homestead exemption. 3. A reduction in property tax would make first-time home buying more attainable and ease the pressure on the rental market, thus bringing a market-based solution to the rental problem. 4. Utilize 3P (public-private partnerships) for addressing housing needs and aim funding for demonstrated positive ROI partners
YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Pro business - 1. Focus on job creation by supporting small business protections, reduce red tape, and promote jobs and economic development incentive such as our successful removal of business rent tax 2. Address workforce needs through education opportunities and continued interaction with industry to match their need 3. Oppose duplicative regulations that create unnecessary red tape, increase costs, and add burdensome layers of bureaucracy. If property tax reforms are approved in November, I will rely on input from industry leaders to understand their needs and work to ensure that businesses are not subjected to onerous tax shifts or unintended financial burdens. 4. We need to provide affordable and attainable housing for the workforce, and this coincides with my former point of supporting public-private partnerships and uniting all levels of government. We can further accomplish this with tax relief and proper utilization of Sadowski funds.
YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Transportation - 1. Build on my work in the area of evtol technology and vertiport development to alleviate the pressure on our ground infrastructure 2. Advocate for increased transportation funding for central FL and work with CRX to make sure revenues are spent to extend local exit arteries
FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? Having served six years at the local level and now four years in Tallahassee, I’ve grown in a depth of understanding both at the local and state levels. I believe in working together to solve real-world issues that my constituents face. I served for 19 years on our local Chamber of Commerce as both a board member and past chairman; I’m familiar and supportive of business and entrepreneurial needs. Over the past two legislative sessions, I have passed 20 bills, and I have built a reputation and proven track record of working hard to advance meaningful legislation that promotes economic opportunity, public safety, workforce development, and educational advancement. I am passionate about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to succeed. When it comes to appropriations, I work diligently to ensure that state funding does not simply flow south to Miami. I strive to highlight Central Florida’s role as an emerging leader in innovation and next-generation technology, while promoting our region as a healthy, affordable, and desirable place to call home. It is an incredible honor to serve the people of my district, and I believe in working together wherever possible to get the job done.
According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? Answered in question 1
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 as I agree that homesteads should be owned and protected, and I also believe that through reducing government waste and replacing lost revenue, we can work together to do the right thing and still fund the things that are important to Floridians. It will be incumbent upon the next legislature to delve into the implementation phase of tasked by Florida citizens. I’ve answered this question in prior responses in this survey above, and also in my answer to the next survey question regarding data centers.
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? First, we should make sure that regulations are in place to protect neighborhoods from intrusion against quality of life issues. We must also require data centers to be net-neutral in closed-loop systems for water usage to not harm our water needs. Finally, I believe in pursuing micro nuclear power and requiring data centers to produce their own power supplies, both protecting our public power grids, and being a source to backfeed into the power supply in times of emergency. I believe this could create a great source of revenue to help replace our reduced property tax revenues and position us to lead when it comes to increased AI and data center necessities.
What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? I have a passion to see Lake Apopka restored to its pristine beauty for future generations. Water issues should top the list so that our aquifer is protected and our waterways are enjoyed for posterity.
Carlos F. Johary Sr.
WEBSITE: www.carlosjohary.com/
Oviedo Community News Candidate Profile: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/carlos-f-johary-sr/
Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race were 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?
- Reduce government wasteful spending — more audits and reviews.
- Reduce taxes. Eliminate (taxes) totally for food like before — push for legislation.
- More state-owned green lands and parks, due to all the influx of new residents and neighborhoods — push for legislation.
For incumbents: Why do you deserve re-election to this race? For challengers and open seats: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? N/A
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? More affordable housing, possibly in abandoned schools or building complexes.
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? Will vote yes. Reducing spending is the solution. Computers will eliminate a lot of the wasted manpower hours on taxpayers’ money.
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? Reduce rates because volume and profits will increase.
What do you think is the biggest environmental issue the government should address in Florida? Creating more wetlands due to increased construction and housing. Forest and green lands are disappearing.