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Florida's 8th Congressional District election, 2026

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← 2024
Florida's 8th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 12, 2026
Primary: August 18, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Florida

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Florida's 8th Congressional District
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Florida elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

All U.S. House districts, including the 8th Congressional District of Florida, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The primary is August 18, 2026. The filing deadline is June 12, 2026. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

General election

The primary will occur on August 18, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.

General election for U.S. House Florida District 8

Lacey Villareal is running in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 8 on November 3, 2026.

Candidate
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Lacey Villareal (Independent) Candidate Connection

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 8

Paul Dellinger is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 8 on August 18, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Paul Dellinger
Paul Dellinger Candidate Connection

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 8

Incumbent Mike Haridopolos is running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 8 on August 18, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Mike Haridopolos
Mike Haridopolos

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Lacey Villareal

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WebsiteFacebook

Party: Independent

Incumbent: No

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

In the Military, I took a pledge to uphold the Constitution and to fight all enemies, foreign and domestic. Looks like the fight isn't over.

We don't need more millionaires or billionaires in politics. We need more neighbors, more workers, more Veterans. Let's put the 'WE' back in "We The People".

After moving to Brevard upon my end of Military duty, I found a home here. I care about the people, the places, and the issues facing our area. I have spent my years in Brevard working for our community. From sitting on the Board of Directors for the Melbourne Main Street Association and volunteering to work with the Brevard County Elections, to working with local businesses in order to cultivate their identities. I look forward to working on a larger scale in order to help lower housing costs and increase the quality of life for all Floridians.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Florida

Election information in Florida: Aug. 18, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: July 20, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by July 20, 2026
  • Online: July 20, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

Yes

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: Aug. 6, 2026
  • By mail: Received by Aug. 6, 2026
  • Online: Aug. 6, 2026

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: Aug. 18, 2026
  • By mail: Received by Aug. 18, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

Aug. 8, 2026 to Aug. 15, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (ET/CT)

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

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Lacey Villareal (Independent)

In the Military, I took a pledge to uphold the Constitution and to fight all enemies, foreign and domestic. Looks like the fight isn't over.

We don't need more millionaires or billionaires in politics. We need more neighbors, more workers, more Veterans. Let's put the 'WE' back in "We The People".

After moving to Brevard upon my end of Military duty, I found a home here. I care about the people, the places, and the issues facing our area. I have spent my years in Brevard working for our community. From sitting on the Board of Directors for the Melbourne Main Street Association and volunteering to work with the Brevard County Elections, to working with local businesses in order to cultivate their identities. I look forward to working on a larger scale in order to help lower housing costs and increase the quality of life for all Floridians.
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png

Lacey Villareal (Independent)

Lowering housing and healthcare costs, ensuring stability in the VA and Social Security, disbanding ICE, and restoring sanity and trust to the Government. You can read more about the issues I plan to make the forefront of my time in office on my website.


Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Mike Haridopolos Republican Party $1,067,368 $539,373 $786,158 As of December 31, 2025
Paul Dellinger Democratic Party $2,705 $570 $2,135 As of September 30, 2025
Lacey Villareal Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]

Race ratings: Florida's 8th Congressional District election, 2026
Race trackerRace ratings
2/10/20262/3/20261/27/20261/20/2026
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Decision Desk HQ and The HillPendingPendingPendingPending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Florida in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Florida, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Florida U.S. House Ballot-qualified party 1% of the registered voters in the geographical area of candidacy $10,440 6/12/2026 Source
Florida U.S. House Unaffiliated 1% of the registered voters in the geographical area of candidacy $6,960 6/12/2026 Source


District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 8

Mike Haridopolos (R) defeated Sandy Kennedy (D) in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 8 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Mike Haridopolos
Mike Haridopolos (R)
 
62.2
 
280,352
Image of Sandy Kennedy
Sandy Kennedy (D)  Candidate Connection
 
37.8
 
170,096

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 450,448
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 8

Sandy Kennedy (D) defeated Daniel McDow (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 8 on August 20, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Sandy Kennedy
Sandy Kennedy  Candidate Connection
 
60.7
 
24,701
Image of Daniel McDow
Daniel McDow  Candidate Connection
 
39.3
 
15,999

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 40,700
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 8

Mike Haridopolos (R) defeated John Hearton (R) and Joseph Babits (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 8 on August 20, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Mike Haridopolos
Mike Haridopolos
 
72.1
 
61,710
Image of John Hearton
John Hearton  Candidate Connection
 
21.7
 
18,604
Image of Joseph Babits
Joseph Babits
 
6.1
 
5,250

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 85,564
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 8

Incumbent Bill Posey (R) defeated Joanne Terry (D) in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 8 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Bill Posey
Bill Posey (R)
 
64.9
 
222,128
Image of Joanne Terry
Joanne Terry (D)  Candidate Connection
 
35.1
 
120,080

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 342,208
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 8

Joanne Terry (D) defeated Danelle Dodge (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 8 on August 23, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Joanne Terry
Joanne Terry  Candidate Connection
 
54.6
 
29,542
Image of Danelle Dodge
Danelle Dodge  Candidate Connection
 
45.4
 
24,592

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 54,134
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for August 23, 2022, was canceled. Incumbent Bill Posey (R) advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 8 without appearing on the ballot.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 8

Incumbent Bill Posey (R) defeated Jim Kennedy (D) in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 8 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Bill Posey
Bill Posey (R)
 
61.4
 
282,093
Image of Jim Kennedy
Jim Kennedy (D)
 
38.6
 
177,695

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 459,788
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for August 18, 2020, was canceled. Jim Kennedy (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 8 without appearing on the ballot.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 8

Incumbent Bill Posey (R) defeated Scott Caine (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 8 on August 18, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Bill Posey
Bill Posey
 
62.5
 
54,861
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Scott Caine  Candidate Connection
 
37.5
 
32,952

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 87,813
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2023_01_03_fl_congressional_district_08.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+11. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 11 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Florida's 8th the 119th most Republican district nationally.[5]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Florida's 8th Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
38.0%61.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Florida, 2024

Florida presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 17 Democratic wins
  • 15 Republican wins
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party D D D D D D D R D D D D D R R R D R R D R R R R D R R D D R R R
See also: Party control of Florida state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Florida's congressional delegation as of October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Florida
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 0 8 8
Republican 2 20 22
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
Total 2 28 30

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Florida's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Florida, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorRepublican Party Ron DeSantis
Lieutenant GovernorRepublican Party Jay Collins
Secretary of StateRepublican Party Cord Byrd
Attorney GeneralRepublican Party James Uthmeier

State legislature

Florida State Senate

Party As of January 2026
     Democratic Party 11
     Republican Party 27
     Other 1
     Vacancies 1
Total 40

Florida House of Representatives

Party As of January 2026
     Democratic Party 33
     Republican Party 84
     Other 0
     Vacancies 3
Total 120

Trifecta control

Florida Party Control: 1992-2025
One year of a Democratic trifecta  •  Twenty-six years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R I R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D S S R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

See also

Florida 2026 primaries 2026 U.S. Congress elections
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  2. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  3. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  4. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  5. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025


Florida's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Ashley Moody (R)
Rick Scott (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
Neal Dunn (R)
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
Anna Luna (R)
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
Republican Party (22)
Democratic Party (8)


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