- August 7, 2026
How does the local business community feel about candidates in the upcoming elections?
On July 28, the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidate hobnob at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. A total of 31 campaigns and candidates participated in the event, which is held every election year by the chamber.
It's an opportunity for the business community and residents to meet who's running for office, both local and state, and learn more about where they stand on local issues, said Chamber Advocacy Director Drake Wyman.
"Typically in years past, it's been done after the primaries, and so there's a smaller pool," Wyman said. "But this year, we wanted to give an opportunity for all the candidates to come out and participate and get themselves known before the primary so our business community and residents can make a more informed decision on Aug. 18 when they go to the ballot box."
Flooding, economic development, building a strong workforce and impact fees are among some of the issues the regional business community is in interested in hearing from candidates about, Wyman added.
"We got to see a lot of different perspectives and hear from a lot of different candidates on their solutions to some of those as well," he said.
As part of the hobnob, the chamber conducted a straw poll, in which 125 votes were possible in each race. Here are the results for the state, Ormond Beach and Daytona races:
U.S. Senator
Winner: Ashley Moody (R), 68 votes
Chris Gleason (R), 5 votes
Neelam Taneja Perry (R), 2 votes
Ernest Rivera (R), 4 votes
Angie Nixon (D) 16 votes
Alex Vindman (D) 14 votes
Neil J. Gillespie (NPA), 5 votes
U.S. Representative for Congressional District 6
Winner: Randy Fine (R), 34 votes
Manuel P. Asensio (R), 2 votes
Aaron Baker (R), 20 votes
Dan Bilzerian (R), 3 votes
Charles Gambaro (R), 6 votes
Robert David Cooper II (D), 10 votes
Steve Morgan (D), 3 votes
Ronnie Murchinson-Rivera (D), 10 votes
Eric Yonce (D), 12 votes
Andrew Parrott (Libertarian), 3 votes
Michael Gist (NPA), 4 votes
U.S. Representative for Congressional District 7
Winner: Cory Lee Mills (R), 36 votes
Ryan Elijah (R), 35 votes
Michael Don Johnson (R), 3 votes
Sarah Ulrich (R), 6 votes
Bale Dalton (D), 12 votes
Alan Grayson (D), 5 votes
Marialana Kinter (D), 9 votes
Christopher Dennison (Libertarian), 4 votes
Governor and Lt. Governor
Winner: Byron Donalds (R), 39 votes
Jay Collins (R), 9 votes
James Fishback (R), 8 votes
Jim Holcomb (R), 2 votes
Paul Renner (R), 23 votes
James R. Shaw (R), 1 vote
Bobby Williams (R), 2 votes
Evelyn Castillo-Bach (D), 3 votes
Dayna Marie Foster (D), 4 votes
David Jolly/Gwen Graham (D), 18 votes
Dotie Joseph (D), 1 vote
Stephann Norman (D), 1 vote
Scott Eckhard Jewett (Libertarian), 5 votes
Desmond Meade (NPA), 1 vote
Attorney General
Winner: James Uthmeier (R), 73 votes
Jose Javier Rodriguez (D), 37 votes
Chief Financial Officer
Winner: Blaise Ingoglia (R), 54 votes
Frank William Collige (R), 20 votes
Earle Ford (D), 8 votes
Annette Taddeo (D), 22 votes
Commissioner of Agriculture
Winner: Wilton Simpson (R), 58 votes
Matt Taylor (R), 21 votes
Joey Mendoza Atkins (D), 11 votes
Donald A. Prichard (D), 15 votes
State Senator District 8
Winner: Jake Johansson (R), 83 votes
Judy M. Ngying (D), 24 votes
Gabriel Jude Wozniak (Libertarian), 4 votes
State Representative District 27
Winner: Richard Gentry (R), 76 votes
Andy Ferrari (D), 28 votes
State Representative District 28
Winner: Bill Partington (R), 79 votes
Sammy Jackson (D), 22 votes
Joseph Hannoush (Libertarian), 7 votes
State Representative District 29
Winner: Webster Barnaby (R), 83 votes
Don Kanfer (D), 24 votes
State Representative District 30
Winner: Chase Tramont (R), 87 votes
Edwin Munoz (D), 22 votes
Circuit Judge 7th Judicial Circuit, Group 26
Winner: Jeanne Stratis, 51 votes
Carleen Leffer, 40 votes
County Council at-large
Winner: Nancy Miller, 81 votes
Mike Poniatowski, 12 votes
Barry Powell, 10 votes
Daytona Beach City Commissioner Zone 1
Winner: Monica Paris, 62 votes
John Navarra, 19 votes
Daytona Beach City Commissioner Zone 3
Winner: Quanita May, 43 votes
Christos Mavronas, 13 votes
Steve Miller, 25 votes
Daytona Beach City Commissioner Zone 5
Winner: Willie Williams, 32 votes
John Counts, 16 votes
Aaron Harrison, 19 votes
Mayor of Ormond Beach
Winner: Lori Tolland, 57 votes
Damien Curry, 3 votes
George Doran, 6 votes
Jason Leslie, 15 votes
Ormond Beach City Commissioner Zone 1
Winner: Melissa DeVriese, 46 votes
Alan Burton, 10 votes
Coleen McMahon, 13 votes
Ormond Beach City Commissioner Zone 2
Winner: Travis Sargent, 48 votes
Jennifer Bright, 27 votes
Ormond Beach City Commissioner Zone 3
Winner: Kristin Deaton, 54 votes
Ted Rhodes, 15 votes
Ormond Beach City Commissioner Zone 4
Winner: Harold Briley, 48 votes
Amber Bobak, 15 votes
Barry du Moulin, 6 votes
The Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce has has published a voter guide and made endorsements for some of the primary races. Visit https://www.daytonachamber.com/Voter-s-Guide-and-Endorsements-6-26604.html.
