Val Demings, 65, is coming off three terms of service in the U.S. House of Representatives. The daughter of a maid and a janitor, Demings was a police officer for nearly three decades before entering the world of elected politics. In 2007, she became the first woman to serve as Orlando’s chief of police. Having proven herself an adept fundraiser, Demings faces the toughest test of her political career, hoping to unseat incumbent Republican Marco Rubio. Although three candidates from outside the two major parties qualified for the ballot, polls show the race will come down to Rubio vs. Demings. The race is expected to be close. And it could decide the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. Education: Florida State University, B.S. Florida State University, master’s in public administration

Kimberly Walker, 53, of Hudson, is a veteran of the U.S. Army and the Florida Air Force National Guard who now works for the Department of Treasury as a contractor in software engineering. She has worked as a state correctional officer and as a government contractor in information technology at MacDill Air Force Base and in software engineering for MacDill’s U.S. Special Operations Command. Born in Orlando, Walker has lived in Pasco County for 15 years and was uncontested in the Democratic District 12 primary. This will be Walker’s third attempt to oust incumbent Gus Bilirakis from his long-held congressional seat. Walker said her desire “to heal the partisanship that continues to destroy our great country” and “give every American a fair opportunity for that American dream” motivated her to try once more for the District 12 seat. Education: St. Petersburg College, bachelor’s of applied science in technology management Florida Institute of Technology, Master of Science in information technology

Eric Lynn, 44, is a national security consultant who worked in President Barack Obama’s administration as the senior adviser to the secretary of defense. Lynn grew up in Pinellas County and says he wants to be a moderate U.S. representative like those before him. Lynn did not face any primary challengers, after other Democrats running for the race dropped out once the final district boundaries were drawn. Education: St Petersburg High, International Baccalaureate diploma Northwestern University, bachelor’s degree in history and international relations Georgetown Law, J.D.

Kathy Castor was first elected to the Tampa-based district in Congress in 2006. The 55-year-old Tampa native has won reelection easily since. Castor, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has also chaired a special congressional committee on climate change. Considered a close ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Castor has made climate change, transportation and sustainability her core issues over the past 15 years. Education: Emory University, B.A., 1988 Florida State University, J.D., 1991 Chamberlain High School, 1984

Alan Cohn, 60, is a former investigative journalist who has run for Congress twice before, losing previously to former U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross. Cohn has framed himself as a moderate and emphasized his history investigating government corruption. He said he was motivated to run because of the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6. He received a slate of high-profile establishment endorsements from other Democrats in the primary election, including U.S. Reps. Charlie Crist and Kathy Castor. Education: Hofstra University, bachelor’s degree, 1985

Jan Schneider, 75, first ran to represent Sarasota in Congress in 2002. After six failed attempts, including three primary election victories and a run as a no-party candidate, she is once again the Democratic candidate. But she faces an uphill battle to unseat a veteran incumbent who will heavily outspend her in the race for this former Sarasota seat. Education: Yale University Graduate School, M.Phil. & Ph.D., political science, 1975 Yale Law School, J.D., 1973 Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, M.A., 1970 Brown University, B.A., 1968

Charlie Crist, 66, of St. Petersburg, was a member of the U.S. House representing southern Pinellas County in Congress since 2017, until he recently resigned to campaign for governor. He has worked as a lawyer in private practice, but much of his career has been spent in public office and he is a fixture of Florida politics. He was first elected to the state Senate in 1992 as a Republican. He later served as the state education commissioner, Florida attorney general and was governor for one term from 2007 to 2011. He switched to the Democratic Party in 2012. Crist has called Gov. Ron DeSantis “radical” and has pledged to bring “sanity back to Florida’s leadership.” Education: Cumberland School of Law, J.D. Florida State University, B.A. St. Petersburg High School

Former prosecutor and public defender Aramis Ayala, 47, became Florida's first Black state attorney when she was elected in Orange and Osceola counties in 2016. Two months into office, Ayala made national news when she announced she would not seek the death penalty in any cases, triggering a fight with then-Gov. Rick Scott. She pushed for various criminal justice reforms but did not run for reelection. Late in her term, former members of her executive team said Ayala "abused her power and position to inflate her own personal image at the detriment to the office and the community." In 2021, she announced she was running for a congressional seat before switching to the attorney general race. Education: University of Michigan, B.A., political science University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, J.D. University of Central Florida, M.A., criminal justice

Adam Hattersley, 44, is a former U.S. Navy nuclear submarine officer who served two years in the Florida House representing an east Hillsborough County seat. In 2020, he left the seat to run for Congress, losing in the primary to Alan Cohn. He was known as a moderate Democrat in the Legislature, and his 2022 campaign focuses on cost of living issues, such as rising property insurance rates. He's a former member of the University of Michigan's national championship gymnastics team, and he's since been a judge in international competitions. Education: University of Michigan, B.S.E., aerospace, 2000 University of Michigan, M.S.E., aerospace, 2001

First-time candidate Naomi Blemur, 43, is the owner of a business consulting firm who is looking to advocate for small farmers, clean water and renewable energy as agriculture commissioner. The daughter of Haitian immigrants, she lost both parents by the time she was 21 and she raised her three younger siblings on her own, according to her bio. In 2021, she was appointed to the North Miami Planning Commission. Her husband, Anis Blemur, a state Senate candidate in 2014 and 2016, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison in 2019 after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft. Education: City University of New York, B.A., accounting

Sen. Janet Cruz, 66, has spent more than a decade as a Florida legislator. Cruz spent eight years in the House of Representatives, where she was the minority leader, and has been in the Florida Senate since 2018. Cruz grew up in Tampa in a working-class family and said that motivates her legislating philosophy. She wants to support strong education, affordable health care and better jobs. Education: Hillsborough Community College, A.A., opticianry dispensing, 1977

State Sen. Darryl Rouson, 66, a Democrat, is running for re-election. A lawyer and a graduate of St. Petersburg High School, he once served as president of St. Petersburg’s NAACP chapter and was Pinellas County’s first Black assistant state attorney. Thanks to redistricting, a significant number of the voters he’s running to represent live in Hillsborough County. Rouson has held a seat in the State Senate since 2016. Prior to that, he served eight years in the House of Representatives. After suffering from substance use disorder earlier in his life, Rouson has made criminal justice reform a key issue throughout his career. Education: University of Florida Levin College of Law, J.D., 1980 Xavier University of Louisiana, B.A., 1977

Eunic Ortiz, 34, teaches ethics and problems in mass communications at the University of Florida. After working in communications, local government, policy and organizing, Ortiz wants to represent her hometown in the Florida Senate following Sen. Jeff Brandes' term-limited tenure. This is her first run for office. Ortiz helped lead the statewide campaign to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. She is a fixture at union rallies and tenants union demonstrations. She wants to work toward solutions for the affordable housing crisis, a statewide plan for environment, higher wages for educators and Medicare and Medicaid expansion. Education: New York University, master's, business and communications, 2012 University of Florida, bachelor's, telecommunications, 2008 St. Petersburg College, associate's, mass communications, 2006 Tarpon Springs High School, 2006

Nelson Amador, who goes by the name Amaro Lionheart, is a 43-year-old Democrat in Clearwater. He is an environmental activist and substitute teacher in the Pinellas County School District, according to his LinkedIn. He launched a bid for governor in 2021, but this year ended that effort and decided to run for the newly redistricted state Senate District 21. He is campaigning on a platform of progressive policies such as legalizing recreational marijuana for people 21 or older and making public college free for those majoring in an “essential field” who will work in Florida for at least two years. Education: St. Thomas University, he studied business management and organizational leadership, according to his Facebook

Mike Harvey has lived in the recently renamed District 23 for 15 years, according to his election website. Harvey, a democrat, was born into a military family where he grew up in low-income housing with his grandmother and mother. Harvey noted he is not a career politician and has instead focused on his personal business, the website states. According to his website, Harvey hopes to improve school funding and bring awareness to Florida environmental challenges. Harvey has a number of "Fail to File Letters" in his campaign documents docket. The most recent is from Sept. 13. The report said he'd failed to file his campaign treasurer's report. Education: Did not respond

Keith G. Laufenberg, 77, is a retiree who worked as a professional boxer, a real estate agent and as a freelance writer. He is running on civil rights, climate change, universal healthcare and reforming Florida's gun laws, according to his platform. Laufenberg ran before in 2020 against state representative Blaise Ingoglia, losing with 35% of the vote. Education: Broward Community College

Brian Staver, 63, is a Navy veteran and retired systems analyst who previously worked for Cisco Systems. He grew up in Virginia and has been living in Pasco County for seven years. He’s president of the East Pasco Democratic Club and has volunteered for the American Red Cross. He’s run unsuccessful campaigns for state House District 38 and the Pasco County School Board. Staver says he decided to launch a new campaign because he “could no longer stand by (and) watch our state legislature cripple our proper public schools in favor of for-profit charter schools.” He supports banning assault weapons and wants to make medication more affordable. Education: University of Phoenix, 2005 Foothill College, 1995

Bernard "Bernie" Fensterwald, 71, runs a self-storage business. He is a self-described progressive Democrat and says he is a strong believer in Catholic social teaching — including an emphasis on promoting the common good, caring for the disadvantaged and respecting the life and dignity of each person. Fensterwald is a multimillionaire whose campaign is largely self-funded. "The main thrust of my campaign is to reduce the ongoing amount of incendiary rhetoric over largely unimportant culture war issues and to focus on coming up with real solutions to the very real problems that Floridians face in their daily lives," he said. Education: Tulane University, J.D. Vanderbilt University, B.A. Virginia Tech, master's, education Washington-Lee High School, 1969 graduate

Dawn Douglas, 70, is a middle school teacher focusing on teaching intensive reading for struggling students. Douglas is a Pinellas County native, graduating from Largo High School and going to college in the area at St. Petersburg College and the University of South Florida. She’s previously run, and lost, in what was District 67 before the area was re-drawn. She’s formerly worked as a mermaid at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. Education: Largo High School St. Petersburg College University of South Florida

Lindsay Cross, 44, a Democrat, is an environmental scientist whose work has sat at the intersection of environment and politics for the last decade. As the Water and Land Policy Director for the nonprofit Florida Conservation Voters, Cross has worked with state legislators to secure funding for the conservation of the environment and block bills that harm it. Previously, Cross was executive director of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. She has lived for 20 years in Pinellas County, where she also teaches yoga and wellness programs for homeless families. Prior to running for state House District 60, Cross lost a Florida Senate race in 2018. Education: University of South Florida, M.S., environmental science and policy, 2005 Colorado State University, B.S., environmental health, Spanish minor, 2000

Janet Varnell Warwick, 56, is running for public office for the first time. She hopes to take down a Republican incumbent fighting for the recently redrawn district. A U.S. Army veteran who grew up on a small farm in Central Florida, Varnell Warwick has focused her legal career on consumer advocacy, for which she's picked up awards from the Florida Bar and National Association of Consumer Advocates, as well as civil rights and environmental cases. She's largely framed her campaign around environmental issues, particularly water quality, in the wake of recent Red Tides and the Piney Point disaster. Education: Florida State College of Law, 1995 Eckerd College, 1991 Leesburg High School, 1984

Michele Rayner, 41, was the incumbent for District 70. After redistricting changed legislative boundaries, she's now running for District 62. In May, she dropped out of the race for Florida’s 13th Congressional District. Rayner is the first openly LGBTQ woman of color in the Legislature. She says she's learned from her first term how valuable it is to have common ground -- though she said she will not budge on her opposition to abortion bans. She touts her passage of a bipartisan workforce development bill for personal care attendants in nursing homes. Rayner said she wants to tackle food insecurity. Education: Florida State University, B.S., 2003; M.S., 2006. Florida Coastal School of Law, J.D. Lakeside Christian School, 2000

State Rep. Susan Valdes, a Democrat, and Republican Maura Cruz Lanz are running in the general election for Florida House District 64.The position was previously held by Republican attorney Traci Koster. Valdes, 57, worked as a health practice administrator until winning a seat on the Hillsborough County School Board in 2004. As a school board member, Valdes served for 14 years until resigning to run for the Florida House of Representatives in 2018. The newly redrawn district covers much of the old House District 62, which encompasses northwest Hillsborough County. Education: Manhattan College, M.A., 2018 Nova Southeastern University, B.S., 2012

Jen McDonald, 42, runs a commercial insurance agency and is chair of the county Citizens Advisory Committee and the Hillsborough Community College Business Advisory Board. She grew up in Philadelphia and has degrees in business and risk management from Temple University. She has lived in Tampa since 2003. She ran unsuccessfully for Hillsborough county commissioner in 2020. Among her legislative priorities are improving housing affordability, supporting public education and protecting a woman’s right to choose. If elected, she hopes to channel her two decades of experience in property and casualty insurance into championing insurance reform. Education: Temple University Philadelphia, BBA, 2003 (with concentrations in Risk Management and Insurance, and Legal Studies)

David Tillery, 59, is a performer and entrepreneur who is making his first run for elected office. The Democrat has lived for over 30 years in Carrollwood, where he runs the North Tampa Darts Association, a nonprofit that hosts dart competitions to raise money for autism awareness and veterans associations. Tillery also works as a comedian and singer-songwriter who combines activism with artistic expression. He said he is concerned about funding for public education and wants to improve voter and civil rights. If elected, Tillery said he would promote the use of new technologies to address food scarcity and climate change. Education: Candidate did not provide information on education.

Born and raised in Polk County, Fentrice Driskell, 43, was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018. She is currently the House Democratic Policy Chair. She considers herself a "consensus builder" and says her top priorities include lowering health care costs, cleaning up corruption, common-sense gun reform and investing in education. She attended Harvard University, where she was the first Black woman elected student government president. Later, after finishing law school at Georgetown University, she worked at Carlton Fields law firm. More recently, Driskell sponsored a bill tackling police reform and increasing accountability for law enforcement, which was passed unanimously. Education: Harvard University, BA, cum laude, Government, 1997-2001 Georgetown University Law Center, JD, 2001-2004

Lorissa Wright, 22, is the Democratic candidate running to represent Florida's 68th House District, which spans the northeastern-most corner of Hillsborough County, and includes Plant City. Wright is currently a college student at the University of South Florida, where she studies psychology, and has been a resident of Hillsborough County for the last nine years. Wright is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and said that one of her top areas of focus will be the state's education system and increasing teacher salaries. Education: University of South Florida, B.A. psychology, political science minor — expected graduation: 2022

Andrew Learned, 36, was the representative for Florida House District 59 before it was split into districts 67 and 69 for this election cycle. He is a former naval officer with eight years of experience and has been deployed to the Middle East three times. He still serves in a U.S. Navy Reserve unit at MacDill Air Force Base. He also is a member of the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce and a Camp Cristina YMCA board member. Education: University of Tampa, B.A., economics, 2009 University of Tampa, B.A., government and world affairs, 2009

Eleuterio "Junior" Salazar Jr., 35, of Ruskin has worked in the financial services industry for about 15 years and currently works as a collections specialist and events coordinator, according to his LinkedIn page. Salazar previously lived in the Bradenton area and ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Bradenton in 2016. He filed to run for a Bradenton City Council seat in 2020 but withdrew from the race. He is a past president of the Gulf Coast Latin Chamber of Commerce. Salazar did not respond to numerous attempts to get information and answers to policy questions for this voter guide. Education: The candidate did not respond

Allison Miller, 39, is a private attorney who consults on death penalty cases with the firm Ripley Whisenhunt. She previously worked as a Pinellas-Paco assistant public defender for nearly 13 years, but left her job there to avoid potential conflicts of interest after she announced her run for state attorney. Miller said she is running to bring change to a state attorney's office that hasn’t had a contested election in decades. Miller has proposed a conviction integrity unit to investigate possible wrongful convictions and has said she won’t prosecute juveniles as adults in most circumstances, among other reforms. Education: Florida State University College of Law, J.D., 2008 University of Notre Dame, B.A. 2005

Harry Cohen, 52, is seeking to defend the District 1 Hillsborough County Commission seat he won two years ago in a tight race over Republican Scott Levinson. Cohen, a Democrat, served two terms on Tampa City Council, formerly was legal counsel to the Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court and co-chaired the transition team for then Mayor-elect Jane Castor after making his own unsuccessful run for mayor in 2019. Education: Berkshire School, Sheffield, Mass.,1988 New York Law School, J.D., 1996. Gettysburg College, bachelor's degree, 1992;

Angela Birdsong, 62, is a life and health insurance agent making her second run for the Hillsborough County Commission District 2 seat in a rematch against incumbent Republican Ken Hagan. Birdsong's 2018 loss was closer than many expected in a race in which she was outspent heavily by the well-known Hagan. This time around, Birdsong is campaigning on bolstering affordable housing options and improving transportation, especially bus service. Education: Ithaca College, B.S., 1982

Mariella Smith, 68, of Ruskin, has lived nearly her whole life in HIllsborough County. A longtime community and environmental activist, she is seeking her second term on the Hillsborough County Commission after defeating two-term commission member Victor Crist for an open, countywide seat in 2018. Smith and fellow Democrats successfully pushed for increases in impact fees for schools, transportation, parks, and public safety so the county could better accommodate growth. She also advocated for changes to county regulations to make it easier for citizens to participate in land-use hearings. Education: Florida State University, master's degree, 1979 University of Tampa, bachelor's degree, 1974 Plant High School

Kimberly Overman, 64, is a 38-year resident of Hillsborough County and is seeking reelection to the commission seat she won in 2018. She has been a financial adviser and owns and manages commercial rental property in Seminole Heights. An advocate for more affordable housing and mass transit in Hillsborough, she sits on the county's Affordable Housing Advisory Board, the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority and the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority. Education: University of Maryland, bachelor of science in agricultural and resource economics, 1982

Pat Gerard, 72, is seeking her third term on the Pinellas County Commission. She was a Largo City Commissioner and then mayor before first winning a County Commission seat in 2014. She also had a 40-year career in human services, which she said has informed her approach to public office. She's said addressing affordable housing, transportation and the threat of sea-level rise are her top priorities. Education: University of South Florida, M.A., Rehabilitation Counseling, 1986 University of South Florida, B.A., 1984