Election 2026: Recount Looms in Escambia Commission Race as Donalds, Moody and Patronis Win

PENSACOLA, FL (NewsRadio 92.3) — Northwest Florida voters returned several incumbents to office Tuesday, approved local sales-tax measures by wide margins and helped provide strong Panhandle support for Republicans who won Florida's marquee statewide races.

But one Escambia County contest remains far from settled.

Republican Escambia County Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger leads no-party candidate Joe Vinson by just 11 votes in the District 4 race, according to unofficial election-night results.

Hofberger received 12,947 votes, or 50.02%, while Vinson received 12,936, or 49.98%.

The race is headed toward an automatic machine recount because the margin is well below Florida's one-half of one percent recount threshold.

If the margin remains at or below one-quarter of one percent following the machine recount, a manual recount of overvotes and undervotes would follow.

Hofberger told NewsRadio 92.3 Wednesday morning that she's waiting for the process to play out.

“I am eagerly awaiting the rest of the votes to be counted. And I know with the process of the recount, it's going to be a few days, so I am just hoping for patience from the community.”

Florida's first unofficial county returns are due Saturday. Any required machine recount results are due Nov. 12, with official county returns due Nov. 16.

Escambia County results

Elsewhere on the Escambia County Commission, Republican incumbent Mike Kohler won a second term in District 2, receiving 56.32% against Democrat Mathious Robinson.

Two contested Pensacola City Council races also produced winners.

Former council member Sherri Myers defeated District 2 incumbent Charles Bare, 54.39% to 45.61%.

In District 4, Boyce White defeated Brian Cole, 51.55% to 48.45%.

Republican Michelle Salzman won another term in Florida House District 1, while Republican Jon Fay won House District 2.

Escambia County voters also overwhelmingly renewed the county's one-cent Local Option Sales Tax for another decade.

Updated unofficial results show 84,178 votes — 74.96% — in favor and 28,123 — 25.04% — opposed.

The tax has been in place since 1992 and funds capital projects including roads, drainage and stormwater improvements, fire stations, public-safety vehicles, parks and other infrastructure.

Escambia County reported turnout of about 56%, up from roughly 52% during the 2022 midterm election.

Santa Rosa County results

In Santa Rosa County, Marie Locklin won reelection to School Board District 5, receiving 52.48% against Jill Broxson Teston's 47.52%.

Heather Lindsay won another term as Milton mayor with 67.27% of the vote over Howard Steele.

Makayla Charles won Milton City Council Ward 4, Seat 1, while Randy Hebert won Gulf Breeze City Council Seat D.

Jason Rocco won Holley Navarre Fire District Seat 3, and William “Bill” Heineken won Navarre Beach Fire Rescue District Seat 5.

Santa Rosa voters also overwhelmingly approved two sales-tax measures.

The county half-cent surtax received about 73% support.

The Santa Rosa County School District's half-cent sales-tax renewal received about 67%.

Santa Rosa reported voter turnout of 51.43%.

Donalds elected governor

Republican Byron Donalds won Florida's race for governor, defeating Democrat David Jolly in a much closer statewide contest than the results seen in Northwest Florida.

Current unofficial state results show Donalds with 4,131,777 votes — 50.02%.

Jolly received 4,023,425 — 48.71%.

Donalds won Escambia County with about 54% and Santa Rosa County with more than 70%.

He will succeed term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis and become Florida's first Black governor.

Moody wins U.S. Senate race

Republican Ashley Moody won the U.S. Senate special election, allowing her to remain in the seat to which DeSantis appointed her following Marco Rubio's departure to become Secretary of State.

Updated unofficial state results show Moody with about 51% of the vote, compared with roughly 48% for Democratic state Representative Angie Nixon.

Moody's margins were significantly larger locally. She received about 54% in Escambia County and more than 71% in Santa Rosa County.

The election determines who serves the remaining two years of Rubio's Senate term.

Patronis wins full term in Congress

Republican Congressman Jimmy Patronis won a full term representing Florida's 1st Congressional District.

Updated unofficial results show Patronis with 181,723 votes — 62.56%.

Democrat Gay Valimont received 103,429 votes — 35.61% — while no-party candidate Tyler Davis received 5,322.

Patronis first won the seat during a special election in April 2025 following former Congressman Matt Gaetz's resignation.

Republicans win Florida Cabinet races

Republicans also won Florida's three other statewide elected offices.

James Uthmeier defeated Democrat Jose Javier Rodriguez for Attorney General.

Blaise Ingoglia defeated Democrat Annette Taddeo for Chief Financial Officer.

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson won another term over Democrat Joey Mendoza Atkins.

Each of those races was considerably closer statewide than the results in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

Amendment 3 passes; Amendments 1 and 2 fail

Florida voters approved Amendment 3, while rejecting Amendments 1 and 2.

Amendment 3 — dealing with the homestead exemption, assessments of non-homestead property and state spending restrictions — received about 62% statewide support, clearing the 60% required to amend Florida's constitution.

Northwest Florida supported it by larger margins.

Amendment 3 received 66% support in Escambia County and more than 73% in Santa Rosa County.

Amendment 1 failed, receiving about 40% statewide.

Amendment 2 also failed despite receiving a majority of votes. The agricultural property-tax measure received roughly 58% support — short of the 60% constitutional threshold.

Results remain unofficial

Election-night numbers are not Florida's final certified totals.

Counties still have provisional ballots, ballot cures and certain overseas ballots to process.

The first set of unofficial returns is due Saturday. Official county returns are due Nov. 16, and Florida's Elections Canvassing Commission is scheduled to certify statewide results Nov. 17.

The closest local contest remains Escambia County Commission District 4, where only 11 votes currently separate Hofberger and Vinson.

NewsRadio 92.3 will continue following the recount and update the results as additional ballots are processed and the canvassing process continues.