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.
Orange County School Board Chair
Unlike most counties in Central Florida, Orange County has an elected school board chair. This person sets the board’s meeting agendas, runs the meetings, and holds a tie-breaking vote on issues.
All school board races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.
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 partners at the Orlando Sentinel compiled the candidate responses for the Orange County school board chair race, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks.
Alicia Farrant
WEBSITE: www.votealiciafarrant.com/
NOTE: This candidate did not respond to our request to fill out this voter guide. To best serve you, we searched candidate websites to answer questions about their candidacy.
A member of Moms for Liberty, the conservative parent group, she won a seat on the board in 2022 and is now finishing her first term representing District 3. In a July interview with the Orlando Sentinel, she said she hopes winning the countywide chair election will show people that “God always gets the victory.”
A top priority is improving the district’s academic achievement, she said in an interview, and her campaign website stated she supports “a return to phonics-based literacy instruction.” Her website also says she supports the “highest standard of safety measures” in schools by “keeping boys out of girls’ sports and bathrooms” and removing “pornographic” books from school libraries.
Her campaign website does not address her views on resolving the teacher shortage or on the property tax amendment that will be on the ballot in November.
Angie Gallo
WEBSITE: www.voteangiegallo.com/
YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Student achievement is my top priority. It’s important to continue improving literacy outcomes, expanding academic support, and ensuring every student has access to high-quality instruction. I plan to continue supporting evidence-based practices, such as the science of reading, and strengthen early literacy programs. Additionally, I aim to conduct targeted, research-based interventions to help students succeed. We need to be less dependent on technology and put textbooks back in the classrooms. I support a hybrid model of teaching. We need to be at the forefront of AI literacy and continue to remove programs that don’t support student learning. I believe that learning should be challenging and that students should graduate with critical thinking skills needed to compete in a global economy.
YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers and staff is critical to student success. I will continue advocating for competitive compensation, professional development opportunities that serve the needs of our educators, and support policies that will attract and retain the best talent in our classrooms. When elected, I will lead the effort to ask Orange County voters for an additional .25 mil for teacher pay via referendum on the 2028 ballot.
YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Innovating public schools. We need to be more innovative in our approach to student learning. We must meet students where they are and engage them in the classroom. I support micro-schools, schools within schools, co-ops, and more private-public partnerships that will increase student enrollment. Public schools need to look more like 2050 and less like 1950.
How should the district handle teacher shortages? Teacher shortages cannot be solved with short-term fixes. They require a sustained commitment to making teaching a profession that talented people want to enter and experienced teachers want to stay in. Florida has ranked near the bottom nationally in average teacher pay, and districts across the state are competing for a shrinking pool of educators. If we want the best teachers in our classrooms, we must be willing to invest in their pay, benefits, and professional development.
I will champion an additional .25 mil referendum in 2028 to let Orange County voters choose to improve compensation and benefits. I will work with higher education partners to create clear career pathways into the profession and expand teacher residency and mentorship programs. And finally, I will work with the Superintendent and School Board to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens on all our educators.
Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Improving reading outcomes requires a strong focus on early literacy, evidence-based instruction, and targeted support for struggling students. We must continue to invest in literacy coaches, intervention programs, and professional development while ensuring students receive the individualized support they need to become successful readers. We need more high-quality Pre-K’s in Orange County. Our goal should be to put a full-day pre-K center at every school staffed by certified teachers; if we do that, research shows that our students’ literacy rates would greatly improve by 3rd grade.
What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? School safety must remain a top priority. I support continuing our comprehensive approach that includes campus security measures, mental health resources, threat assessment teams, and strong partnerships with law enforcement by placing School Resource Officers (SROs) at all of our schools. Safety efforts should focus on prevention, preparedness, and student well-being. We need to advocate for better funding within the Florida Education Finance Plan (FEFP), as well as county and municipal budgets, so that SROs are not partially unfunded mandates.
How should book challenges and library removals be handled? Book challenges should follow established district policies that provide a transparent and consistent review process. Decisions should be based on educational value, age appropriateness, and professional review while ensuring parents, educators, and community members have a voice in the process. With that said, we have much bigger challenges than the books in our Media Center. Cultural wars have taken up too much time, and we need to focus on students, not political agendas.
What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? My campaign is proud to be supported by educators, parents, community leaders, and organizations that value strong public schools. Endorsements include the Orange County Teachers Association, Florida Education Association, Equality Florida Action PAC, Ruth’s List Florida, and Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction. I am also proud to have received bipartisan support from most of the Orange County legislative delegation, county and municipal elected officials, and former and current Orange County School Board Members. A complete list of my endorsements can be found on my website VoteAngieGallo.com.
If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? One of my priorities would be strengthening teacher recruitment and retention efforts by increasing teacher pay. Every student deserves access to excellent educators, and ensuring we can attract and retain high-quality teachers is essential to the long-term success of Orange County Public Schools. I will work on reducing screen time in our schools and removing barriers that do not serve student outcomes. I will continue to work on attainable housing and affordable daycare for our educators. We have to tackle the high cost of healthcare, and I am committed to continuing to reduce those costs.