The field for the upcoming Marion County election has expanded to 18 candidates, with four new individuals entering the race and several contenders significantly increasing their campaign war chests.
According to the latest candidate filings, four new individuals have officially entered the race, bringing the total number of candidates vying for seats on the Marion County Board of County Commissioners (MCBCC) and the Marion County School Board (MCSB) to 18.
The new additions to the ballot include Leonard Michael Racioppi, who has filed as a write-in candidate for the highly contested MCBCC District 4 seat. Racioppi has previously served on multiple county advisor boards. The District 4 commission race also features Randall Alvord, Jeff Bairstow, Wanda Wimberly Lasher, and Sherri Meadows.
In MCBCC District 2, Mark Okus entered his hat into the already-crowded contest just last week. That race is now a four-way battle between Okus, Matthew Cretul, Mike Crimi, and Brien Weidemiller, all of whom are vying to replace longtime commissioner Kathy Bryant.
The school board races have also seen a surge of interest, with numerous challengers stepping up to run.
Newcomer Ualthan Bigby entered the race for School Board District 5 as a nonpartisan candidate in the past ten two weeks. Bigby is listed as the head of student services at Ross Prairie Elementary School, which opened last August.
Bigby and Donny Barber are both trying to unseat incumbent Sarah James, who has amassed the second-highest war chest among all candidates.
Finally, in the MCSB District 3 race, Steve Swett, who previously tried to unseat incumbent Eric Cummings, has filed to compete for the seat once again.
The District 4 MCSB race, which features an open seat being vacated by Nancy Thrower, includes a competitive nonpartisan field of candidates: Jeff Brewer, Buddy Wyckoff, Mike Mills, and Brigitte Smith, the latter two of whom filed to run just last month.
In addition to the growing list of candidates, the latest campaign finance data reveals that the race for campaign funds is also accelerating.
Multiple individuals have successfully raised more money since the last financial report earlier this year, further padding their campaign war chests as they prepare for the final stretch before the elections.
This is a complete list of the 18 individuals and the funds that they raised through Ocala-News.com’s last report (May 6) and Tuesday (June 9):
| Candidate | Funds as of 6/9/26 | Funds as of 5/6/26 | City | Party | Office & District |
| Mike Crimi | $116,383.40 | $116,383.00 | Ocala | Rep. | BCC 2 |
| Sherri Meadows | $75,625.00 | $75,625.00 | Salt Springs | Rep. | BCC 4 |
| Sarah James | $38,700.00 | $31,200.00 | Anthony | N/A | SB 5 |
| Jeff Bairstow | $31,016.71 | $21,053.00 | Silver Springs | Rep. | BCC 4 |
| Matt Cretul | $24,750.00 | $24,750.00 | Ocala | Rep. | BCC 2 |
| Brien Weidemiller | $22,000.00 | $22,000.00 | _ | Rep. | BCC 2 |
| Wanda W. Lasher | $19,835.00 | $19,835.00 | Citra | Rep. | BCC 4 |
| Randall Alvord | $14,588.51 | $14,588.51 | Anthony | Rep. | BCC 4 |
| Jeff Brewer | $8,579.00 | $1,803.00 | Ocala | N/A | SB 4 |
| Donny Barber | $4,433.39 | $2,529.00 | _ | N/A | SB 5 |
| Buddy Wyckoff | $4,090.00 | $650.00 | Ocala | N/A | SB 4 |
| Eric R. Cummings | $190.00 | $190.00 | Dunnellon | N/A | SB 3 |
| Brigitte Smith | $0.00 | $0.00 | Ocala | N/A | SB 4 |
| Mike Mills | $0.00 | $0.00 | Ocala | N/A | SB 4 |
| Mark Okus | $0.00 | $0.00 | Ocala | – | BCC 2 |
| Leonard M. Racioppi | $0.00 | $0.00 | Ocala | – | BCC 4 |
| Steve Swett | $0.00 | $0.00 | Dunnellon | N/A | SB 3 |
| Ualthan Bigby | $0.00 | $0.00 | Ocala | N/A | SB 5 |
In addition to the individuals running for the Marion County seats, several candidates are running unopposed in community development districts in The Villages.
As of June 9, over $372,000 has been collected by the candidates. The top three highest earners remain unchanged since Ocala-News.com’s last report.
Crimi leads all candidates in funds raised and is the only candidate who has surpassed the six-figure mark, having amassed $116,383 for his war chest.
In addition to Crimi, Sherri Meadows is the only other candidate who has crossed the $50,000 mark. The candidate, who is running for the MCBCC District 4 seat, has gathered approximately $75,625 for her campaign.
As previously reported, the largest group of political contributors still remain developers and real estate investors. After additional campaign finance reporting is conducted at the end of June, Ocala-News.com will provide updated data explaining political donations and their recipients.
With 18 candidates now officially in the running and campaign contributions on the rise, Marion County voters will have a wide array of options when they head to the polls. The primary election is scheduled for August 18, followed by the general election on November 3.
What are your thoughts on the upcoming election to fill seats on the Marion County School Board and Marion County Board of County Commissioners? Share them in a comment below or, if you have more to say, write a letter to the editor.