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.
Sumter County School Board District 5
The Sumter County School Board has five districts. These are nonpartisan races, so they are open to all voters.
School Board District 5 encompasses voters in the central part of the county. You can see a map of the area 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 Sumter County School Board District 5, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.
Michael Johnson
WEBSITE: N/A
Commissioner Bogue did not answer our questionnaire. However, he did post a profile on the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections website, which you can read HERE.
Troye Joiner
WEBSITE: N/A
Squier also has a profile on the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections website, which you can read HERE.
FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? As a permanent Sumter County native since 1997, I have attended local public schools my whole life. From Bushnell Elementary “A Great Place to Grow” and the old PA building, starting my educational journey, I then discovered my love of band and choir at South Sumter Middle School with our performances all over the county. My Alma Mater, South Sumter High School, where I was involved with our Naval JROTC unit, student council, and honors and AP classes. I saw much more of our county with NJROTC as I was involved in our color guard presenting our flag at ceremonies and events from the National Cemetery honoring our veterans, to local football games, and parades honoring our country.
I hope to maintain the progress that our students, staff, and community are making, assisting in furthering that endeavor. I wish to be a part of helping the growth, happiness, stability, and economic success of our community continue.
I have been and will continue to be an educational professional in an adjacent county, the only candidate or seated board member to have recent experience in the field.
TOP ISSUES
What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.
Problem Number 1 and Solution: Sumter District Schools faces a funding deficit due to mandates, voucher programs, and the expanding growth of our community. The solution is to be good stewards of the finances we have, use finances appropriated to the best of our ability, ensure the sustainability of programs or positions within our budget allocations.
Problem Number 2 and Solution: Personnel Recruitment and Retainment is an ongoing issue within our district and the state. In Sumter, we would like to “Grow Our Own” to continue to provide programs and structures to allow our students and community to contribute to the ongoing education and betterment of our school system. I hopefully will be able to support and further policies and procedures to continually improve the quality and quantity of educational professionals supporting our students.
Problem Number 3 and Solution: Maintaining a high level of Safety and Security for all students, staff, and community members continues to be an ever-changing priority issue. I hope to continue the safety programs and security measures in place and partner with security professionals to ensure we continue to keep everyone safe. As technology changes, we need to have safe, comfortable, and welcoming educational environments.
How would you handle district budget issues? Currently Sumter District Schools has been able to utilize and operate with allocated funds without overwhelming the local citizens. Sumter should continue the record of working within the budget constraints to operate our district so that we provide the quality education and employment that our community deserves.
How should the district handle teacher shortages? Many efforts are made to retain, recruit, and “Grow Our Own” teachers. Programs, incentives, and a growing community offer the best place for current or future educators to practice and enjoy their profession in Sumter. Sumter employment currently offers competitive wages and benefits. I would continue to support what is in place and seek other methods to improve teacher retainment and recruitment to prevent teacher shortages.
Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Florida has a requirement for all reading teachers to be reading endorsed, which means they study reading science and student abilities. After this coursework, the teachers should be able to implement the best practices for teaching reading. However, some teachers have not completed this training, and we need to ensure reading is taught in every subject area such as math, science, and social studies. Many studies link academic achievement to family and community members involvement with students’ education. Students are more apt to read outside of educational requirements, building a lifelong love of books and possibly learning for fun. Our district and community partners have collaborated with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to provide every student in Sumter from enrollment to five years of age a free book a month at no cost. With the implementation of all these programs, we can continue to meet or succeed the state standards in reading and literacy in Sumter.
What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? Our school district implements a very stringent policy in regards to our student and staff safety. Continuously being aware of and implementing new safety procedures could improve our current safety standards.
How should book challenges and library removals be handled? The policies and procedures set forth by the state of Florida provide guidance for what should and should not be included in our libraries; however, families have the right to choose.
What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? I have no organizational or other ties, including support. However, my mother, the longest serving board member in Sumter County for 16 years, supports and endorses my candidacy. I hope to continue to support and uplift my community as she has.
If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? I would need to spend my first year learning the intricacies of our operations; however, if there was an issue I felt strongly about and wished to change, I would follow the proper channels to do so. I would seek guidance in any policy changes I would like to make from the appropriate source.