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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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.
Marion County Commission District 2 Republican Primary
The Marion County Commission has five districts, and these are partisan races, which means you must be a member of a political party to vote in August. All voters will be able to choose from a final slate of candidates in November.
The winner of the Republican primary for the District 2 commission seat will go on to face write-in candidate Mark Okus in November.
County Commission District 2 encompasses the southwestern part of the county. You can see a map of the district HERE.
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.
News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Marion County Commission District 2, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.
Matt Cretul
WEBSITE: mattcretul.com/
Mr. Cretul did not respond to our requests to take our questionnaire.
Mike Crimi
WEBSITE: electmikecrimi.com/
Mr. Crimi did not respond to our requests to take our questionnaire.
Brien Weidemiller
WEBSITE: https://brienweidemiller.com/
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: Overdevelopment is the number one issue in Marion County. My plan is to focus on infrastructure to support our current residents and slow down the growth until we can support it.
YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: I plan on tightening up our budget. We need to be good stewards of taxpayer money and focus on three things: (1) do the residents want it, (2) do the residents need it, and (3) will the planned expenditure improve our quality of life.
YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Preservation of Marion County culture. We are an agricultural and ecological community. I want to focus on projects that preserve our horse and agricultural culture and preserve our natural resources like our springs.
FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I grew up in Marion County schools, started a successful small business in Marion County, and am raising a family in Marion County. I have a proven track record of running and expanding not only my business, but a local non-profit. I care about Marion County, its residents, and want others to enjoy the same experiences I have had.
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? Marion County is very affordable and that is why a lot of people are moving here. We need to focus on developing infrastructure that can support the growth we are experiencing. Right now, our roads and municipal services are strained as a result of overdevelopment that outpaces our infrastructure. This needs to change.
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? I am voting yes. The county needs to start budgeting smarter, cut unnecessary spending, and eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse. We save money by reducing the amount of projects we outsource. We have seen at the state level how fiscal discipline, conservative governance, and smart investments, matched with declining spending have led to a better way of life.
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? I don’t know anyone besides the data centers who wants them built. I will vote no on data centers. One of the ways the utility companies have been helping reduce costs is by offering rebates, updating outdated processes, and audits.
What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? The biggest environmental issue our government faces is water. With issues such as deep well injection, water bottling plants, and waste and industrial runoff, we need to implement a long-term, strategic plan to address and combat these issues.