Marion County Commission, District 4
County commissioners set the county budget and property-tax (millage) rate, adopt land-use and zoning rules, and oversee county services such as roads, parks, libraries, fire/EMS and utilities. Term: 4 years.
Partly verified. Either the November opponent could not be confirmed from available sources, or only a few positions are documented. Confirm the full candidate list on your county sample ballot; unknown positions are shown as such.
How we verified who is on the ballot
Confirmed Oct. 18, 2026 from county sources (the state's candidate list is incomplete for county offices): Official Aug. 18 Republican primary: Bairstow 16,478 (39.02%), Meadows 10,015 (23.72%), Alvord 8,354 (19.78%), Lasher 7,382 (17.48%). The SOE's Nov. 3 results page lists Jeff Bairstow (REP) and a Write-in line. The SOE candidate list shows Racioppi (WRI) as 'Advanced'. NPA candidate Anthony Barriner-Massa withdrew, so no Democrat or NPA is on the ballot. Racioppi's name is not printed; voters must write it in.
Candidates
Report an error ↗One candidate in this race is a write-in. Florida does not print a qualified write-in candidate's name on the ballot. To vote for one you must write the name on the write-in line for this race; a blank or misspelled line may not be counted.
Jeff Bairstow
Bairstow spent nearly 29 years with the Ocala Police Department, retiring in 2016, and has since run a private investigation agency and a fingerprinting business with his wife. He won the August 18, 2026 Republican primary for the open District 4 seat with 39% over three opponents and faces only a write-in candidate o…
Leonard Michael Racioppi
Write-in candidate qualified for the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot according to the Florida Division of Elections, 2026 general election candidate list (Qualified). Not yet researched.
Side-by-side on the major issues
Each row is a statement. The chips show how each candidate's stated positions or record relate to that statement. Expand a row to read the evidence and sources. "No public position found" means we could not find a statement or record on the topic, not that the candidate has none.
| Issue | Jeff Bairstow Republican | Leonard Michael Racioppi Write-in |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & spendingCutting taxes should be a top priority, even if it means less government spending on services. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Property taxesFlorida should eliminate or sharply reduce homestead property taxes, even if local governments must cut services or find other revenue. | Mixed / neutral· stated position Asked about the proposed constitutional amendment to sharply cut property taxes, he said lost revenue should be replaced through impact fees and making sure growth pays for growth, along with a review of county budget priorities, without stating a position for or against the amendment. | No public position found |
| Housing affordabilityGovernment should do more to make housing affordable (subsidies, zoning changes, rent measures). | No public position found | No public position found |
| Environment & waterProtecting water quality, conservation land and climate resilience should take priority even if it slows development or raises costs. | Strongly agrees· stated position He names water quality and water supply as the county's biggest environmental issue and would protect the Farmland Preservation Area, strengthen growth boundaries and make water part of every major growth decision. He opposes data centers in Marion County. | No public position found |
| Growth & developmentGrowth and development should be slowed or more tightly regulated (higher impact fees, density limits, stronger local control). | Strongly agrees· stated position He says infrastructure should come first: strengthening concurrency, planning road capacity before major development is approved, and making new growth pay a fair share through properly calculated impact fees. He also wants development steered to areas already designed to accommodate it. | No public position found |
| Crime & policingCriminal penalties should be tougher and police funding increased, rather than emphasizing reform and rehabilitation. | Leans agree· stated position He lists public safety as a top issue, saying the county should plan staffing, stations, equipment and emergency resources around real growth numbers, support first responders, improve response times and include public safety facilities in long-term growth planning. He does not address criminal penalties. | No public position found |
| VeteransExpanding VA services and veterans' benefits should be a top priority. | No public position found | No public position found |
Where they sit on the map
Each candidate is placed by the average of their documented stances. It is a summary of the table above, not an extra judgment.
How the axes are computed
Each axis is the average of a candidate's coded stances (+2 to −2) on a fixed set of statements, so it comes straight from the documented positions and nothing else. A candidate needs at least three documented statements on an axis to be placed.
Economic issues (toward "Smaller government (lower taxes, less spending)"): Taxes & spending (agree), Property taxes (agree), Health care (disagree), Housing affordability (disagree), Property insurance (disagree), Energy & utilities (disagree), Social Security & Medicare (disagree), Teacher and staff pay (disagree).
Social & legal issues (toward "Conservative side of the statements"): Immigration (agree), Abortion (disagree), Guns (disagree), Education & school choice (agree), Elections & voting (disagree), Crime & policing (agree), Gender identity laws (agree), Marijuana (disagree), Environment & water (disagree), Trump administration (agree), Library and classroom materials (agree), School safety approach (agree).
| Candidate | Economic issues | Social & legal issues |
|---|---|---|
| Jeff Bairstow | not enough data | not enough data |
| Leonard Michael Racioppi | not enough data | not enough data |
Other issues the candidates have raised
Priorities each candidate has brought up on their own, beyond the major-issue list above.
Jeff Bairstow
- Data centers — Told News 6 he is a 'hard NO' on data centers in Marion County; on Amendment 3 he did not say how he would vote but said lost revenue could be replaced with impact fees and budget discipline.
Leonard Michael Racioppi
No additional issues found in public statements as of the last data review.