Updated to correct a missing website link!
It’s an election year! And we already have some very heated races in St. Johns County!
Having lived here 23 years, I know that for those of us who work in Jacksonville or travel a lot for our work, we often don’t even have time to pay attention to local elections.
Many of us have no idea who our Commissioners are or what they do for the County. Not too long ago a local business person told me he was reaching out to Mayor Deegan for help on something. I asked him why, and he said because she’s the Mayor! I pointed out his business is in St. Johns County and he might want to reach out to our County Commissioners. He didn’t know who any of them are.
That’s not a reflection on this individual – it’s just an example of how in the northern part of the county so many of us work, shop and play in Jacksonville that we naturally know more about the Jacksonville scene than what is happening in St. Johns County.
Today I thought I would spend a little time sharing information about the 2026 Election process in St. Johns County so you can start educating yourself and be prepared to get out and vote in the Primary (August 18,2026) or General Election (November 3, 2026.)
Let’s start with, are you registered to vote? And is your voter registration current? Check out the Supervisor of Elections website and confirm your status. You can do that here: Check My Status
And if you are a newcomer to St. Johns County or Florida, you may not be familiar with our Closed Primary process. If there are qualified candidates from more than one Party, it will be a closed Primary. That means when you go to the polls you will be presented with a Ballot showing only the candidates in your registered party. As an example, if you are a registered Republican, you will only see the Republican candidates on your ballot. If you are a registered Democrat, you will only see the Democratic candidates on your ballot. And if you are not affiliated with any party (No Party Affiliation) you will only see candidates for Non Partisan positions.
Before a candidate appears on a ballot, they have to go through Qualifying. You can see the Qualifying dates for St. Johns County positions on this page: Qualifying Dates & Fees
Most of our County offices have a Qualifying date of June 12. That means that any candidates currently showing on the Candidate List have not yet qualified to be on the Primary Ballot in August.
Today I’ll share known info about 2 of our most visible elected positions, County Commissioners.
We have two County Commissioner seats up for election this year, District 2 and District 4. Those seats are currently held by Sarah Arnold, District 2 and Krista Keating Joseph, District 4.
Commissioner Joseph has filed and shared about her desire to return to the Board for another term. Commissioner Arnold has not filed and all indications are that she is not going to run for re-election.
For District 2, we have 3 Active Candidates. That means they have filed but have not yet qualified.
Timothy Ray Burres is a former SJSO Law Enforcement Officer and is actively running. He has a registered website that is not yet active: VoteTimBurres and has an active FaceBook (FB) page: Vote Tim Burres for SJC Commissioenr
Wilson Malcolm McMullan is a lifelong Floridian actively running. He has an active website: Save St. Johns County.com and FB page: Will McMullan for County Commissioner
Martin Valerian Pyszczymuka is a 4 year resident of St. Johns County. He has an active website and indicates that he has gathered enough petitions to qualify for the ballot. His website is here: VoteMartin2026.com and his FB page is here: VoteMartinForCountyCommissioner Interesting note on his website is that he is opposing Sarah Arnold who has not filed to run. His website also addresses questions regarding residency eligibility and states that he plans to relocate into District 2 prior to the election.
District 4 has 4 Active Candidates. Again, they have filed but not yet qualified.
James Austin Galloway – At the time of writing, I was unable to locate an active campaign website. Mr. Galloway appears to be using his personal FB page for his platform: James Galloway
Krista Keating Joseph – Sitting District 4 Commissioner. Thanks to the alert reader who pointed me Commissioner Joseph’s active website: Vote Krista She also appears to be using her personal FB page for her campaigning. KristaKeatingJoseph
Heather Lane Neville – Born and raised in Northeast Florida and resident of St. Johns County since 2007. Has an active website: VoteHeatherLaneNeville and FB Page ElectHeatherLaneNeville
Samuel Paul Willaims – Also a former SJSO Law Enforcement Officer with an active website: samforstjohns.com and FB page: Williams for St. Johns County Commissioner
As you evaluate candidates this year, I encourage you to spend time learning what each candidate stands FOR — their priorities, leadership style, and vision for the future of St. Johns County.
Local government decisions shape our roads, growth, schools, public safety, and quality of life in very real ways. Thoughtful participation matters.
In a climate where political conversations can quickly become negative, perhaps we can focus more on ideas, solutions, and the future we want to build for our County together.
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Beth Tate 
Anyone using personal page for an official position is not serious or professional!