A Way Too Early 2026 Election Preview
Love or hate it, election season is upon us
The 2026 election cycle is upon us. Every two years, we are thrust into an endless barrage of commercials, candidate signs, and online bickering.
Here’s a preview of who has filed for local offices in Clay County, so you can prepare for campaign season!
Board of County Commissioners
District 2
Current County Commissioner Alexandra Comepere is eligible but has not yet filed for re-election. Leroy Edwards is the only person who has currently filed for the job.
Rumors have swirled behind the scenes that Compere will not seek re-election for several reasons. Ranging from wanting to expand her law practice to dissatisfaction with behind-the-scenes political machinations, Compere has not publicly declared whether or not she will file.
Edwards is a registered Democrat and long-time advocate for the Oakleaf area, which is part of the area covered by District 2. Edwards ran for the County Commission in 2022 and did an interview with the Clay County Beacon Podcast.
District 4
Betsy Condon is running for re-election. Her competition for the job is Matthew O’Berry.
You might remember O’Berry’s brief run for Sheriff in 2024. Co-opted into running by Darryl Daniels, O’Berry mounted a social media campaign that drew a handful of people’s attention.
After failing to qualify for the ballot and withdrawing his candidacy, O’Berry and his wife went on to try to trash the reputation of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office by claiming 911 calls were going unanswered in Keystone Heights.
Clay News & Views pulled the records for their 911 calls and debunked their claims in an episode of our podcast.
Clay County School Board
District 1
First up is Erin Skipper, who has filed for re-election but is already facing some competition. Local elementary school teacher, union member, and father of a Marine Richard “Rick” Kemmer is also running.
Kemmer will have an uphill battle, as Skipper is the current board chairwoman and also the State Committeewoman for the Clay Republican Party.
Kemmer’s candidacy is likely in part due to the Clay County Education Association’s opposition to Skipper, as Skipper ousted union-beloved Janice Kerekes. Unfortunately for the union, Kerekes's penchant for petty squabbles and outright unpleasantness cost her the election.
District 4
Michele Hanson has filed for re-election and is the only candidate to raise over $100 so far. Hanson’s first bid for office was a grassroots campaign, but this time around, Hanson has already accepted money from local special interests. Of the $3,000 she has raised so far, $1,000 came from Sam Garrison’s PAC, Clay Conservatives.
Like Skipper, Hanson has been at odds with the local teachers’ union. Most recently, Hanson and Skipper questioned the union members’ motivation in advocating for increased teacher pay. No union-backed candidate has filed for this race yet.
District 5
Ashley Gilhousen’s seat is also on the ballot this year. Despite being eligible, she has not yet filed for re-election. But John Green Jr, CEO of Operation Barnabas, has entered the race.
Operation Barnabas is a local nonprofit organization founded to help veterans and first responders with a mission “to eliminate veteran incarceration, homelessness, addiction, and suicide by acting strategically and timely to make veterans whole again.”
Green is a former educator and Baptist Pastor, and has a B.A. in English Education and a Master of Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida, per his LinkedIn profile.
Gilhousen’s mother is Clay Tax Collector Diane Hutchings. Hutchings also co-owns a company that a local charter school has paid over $1 million for administrative services.
Municipal Races
Two seats on the city council are up for grabs in Green Cove. Incumbents Matt Johnson and Ed Gaw have filed for re-election. Currently, Gaw is the only candidate facing opposition, as Thomas Centracchio has filed to run for Gaw’s seat.
Orange Park and Keystone Heights have two unopposed incumbents currently filed for re-election:
Doug Benefield- Orange Park Town Council Seat 1
Susan Winette Sandlin- Orange Park Town Council Seat 2
Nina Rodenroth- Keystone Heights City Council Seat 4
This article has been updated to reflect that Rick Kemmer’s son is a marine