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 43 Democratic candidates
The Florida House District 43 election is a Democratic primary for registered Democrats living in the district.
The winner will move on to the general election in November. The incumbent, Johanna López, is running for Orange County Commission.
Florida House District 43 represents part of Orange 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 Central Florida Public Media compiled the candidate responses for Florida House District 43. Below is an excerpt of each candidate’s profile.
You can see the full Central Florida Public Media Voting Guide HERE.
Daisy Morales
WEBSITE: daisyforflorida.com/
- What are the two most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.
- Top Issue: The biggest challenge facing Florida House District 43 is affordability. Families are struggling with rising housing, insurance, grocery, and everyday costs. As a former State Representative, I know how to deliver results. I will secure state funding for local projects, pass legislation that lowers costs, support a responsible state budget, and hold job fairs that connect residents with good-paying careers.
- Issue #2: The second-most pressing issue is preparing our students and workforce for better-paying careers. As your State Representative, I will support strong public schools, career and technical education, workforce training, and partnerships with local colleges and employers. I’ll also work to secure funding for education and hold job fairs to connect residents with employment opportunities.
- 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? Affordability is the top challenge facing Florida House District 43. As your State Representative, I will pass legislation, fight for a responsible state budget, secure funding for local projects, expand affordable housing, lower property insurance costs, and create job opportunities so families can afford to live, work, and succeed in our community.
- 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--if it can be done responsibly. Property tax elimination should not shift the burden to working families or reduce funding for public safety, education, and essential local services. I will support responsible tax reform that provides meaningful homeowner relief while ensuring local communities have sustainable funding.
- 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 require greater transparency, hold utilities accountable, and approve only rates that are fair and justified. Families should not bear the cost of unchecked increases or subsidize large energy users. As your State Representative, I will fight for stronger oversight and consumer protections while ensuring data centers pay their fair share of infrastructure costs.
- What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? The biggest environmental challenge in our district is protecting our water resources while managing growth responsibly. I will support investments in clean water, stormwater infrastructure, flood mitigation, conservation, and protection of our lakes and wetlands. We must balance economic growth with preserving our natural resources for future generations.
Samuel Vilchez Santiago
WEBSITE: www.samuelforflorida.com/
Central Florida Public Media Candidate Profile:
- What are the two most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.
- Top Issue: The most pressing issue facing families in House District 43 is affordability. Too many people are struggling with the rising costs of housing, healthcare, property insurance, groceries, and other essentials. My family relied on Medicaid and food stamps, so I understand these challenges firsthand. In Tallahassee, I will focus on lowering costs by expanding affordable housing, addressing the insurance crisis, expanding Medicaid and healthcare access, and creating pathways to good-paying jobs.
- Issue #2: The second-most pressing issue facing our district is the attack on public education. Families have already seen the impact through the closures of McCoy Elementary, Chickasaw Elementary, and Union Park Middle School. These closures disrupt communities and weaken neighborhood schools. We should be investing in public education by increasing school funding, raising teacher pay, expanding student support services, and investing in post-secondary, dual-enrollment, career and technical programs.
- 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? Affordability requires action on multiple fronts. We must fix Florida’s property insurance crisis by holding insurance companies accountable and addressing the factors driving skyrocketing premiums. I also support restoring toll relief and savings programs for commuters, expanding Medicaid to lower healthcare costs, increasing the supply of affordable and workforce housing, and investing in job training programs that lead to good-paying jobs. Floridians need leaders focused on lowering costs.
- 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? No. While I support targeted property tax relief, including increasing homestead exemptions for seniors and first-time homebuyers, I oppose eliminating property taxes entirely. Property taxes fund essential local services such as public schools, fire rescue, law enforcement, parks, and infrastructure. Eliminating them without a realistic replacement would undermine local governments and likely shift the tax burden onto working families through higher sales taxes, fees, or other taxes.
- 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 must ensure that residential customers are not forced to subsidize the costs of new data centers and other large energy users. Data centers should bear the full cost of the infrastructure and energy demand they create, rather than passing those costs on to families and small businesses. We should also invest in clean, renewable energy sources and grid modernization to increase supply, improve reliability, and help reduce long-term energy costs.
- What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? The biggest environmental issue facing our community is ensuring access to clean water, clean air, and protected green spaces as our region continues to grow. We must invest in water quality improvements, protect our lakes and waterways from pollution, expand parks and urban green spaces, and support clean energy solutions that reduce harmful emissions. We have a responsibility to preserve our natural resources so future generations can enjoy a healthy environment and a high quality of life.