Desmond Meade
Desmond Meade is president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and led the 2018 Amendment 4 campaign that restored voting rights to most Floridians with past felony convictions; he is a MacArthur Fellow. He declared an NPA candidacy on May 28, 2026 and qualified in June 2026. WITHDREW: On Aug. 28, 2026 he sent a formal withdrawal letter to the Division of Elections, citing fundraising ('The rate of our fundraising was not what it needed for me to compete statewide'). Florida Politics reports he submitted the notice of withdrawal by mail and email to the Division of Elections 'effective immediately.' A second search pass (Sept. 17, 2026) found no report or Division of Elections notice stating whether his name will still be printed on the Nov. 3 ballot; this remains unverified.
How they got on the ballot: No primary; qualified as NPA in June 2026, then withdrew Aug 28, 2026 (WLRN; Florida Politics)
Positions on the major issues
Compare with opponents →Each entry describes what the candidate has said or done, and what they say they will do, in neutral terms with sources. The chip shows how that relates to the statement voters rate in the matching tool.
Elections & voting Strongly agrees· based on record
Led the 2018 Amendment 4 campaign restoring voting rights to people with past felony convictions and has spent his career on rights restoration.
No public position found on 17 issues
We searched campaign sites, questionnaires, interviews, votes and official actions and did not find a clear stance on: Taxes & spending, Property taxes, Property insurance, Housing affordability, Immigration, Abortion, Guns, Health care, Education & school choice, Environment & water, Growth & development, Marijuana, Crime & policing, Gender identity laws, Energy & utilities, Trump administration, Veterans. This is reported as unknown rather than guessed from party affiliation; these issues are excluded from this candidate's match score.
Other issues this candidate has raised
- Withdrawal from the race — Ended his campaign Aug. 28, 2026, saying fundraising could not keep pace in a crowded, expensive field.
Record: votes, actions and documented facts
- Led the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition's successful 2018 Amendment 4 ballot campaign.
- Withdrew from the 2026 governor's race on Aug. 28, 2026.
- Submitted a formal notice of withdrawal to the Florida Division of Elections on Aug. 28, 2026, citing fundraising; ballot-printing status not confirmed.
- Does not appear on the Sumter County 2026 General Election sample ballot following his Aug. 28, 2026 withdrawal.