Six candidates file for Marion County Commission District 4; Zalak silent on reelection plans

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Posted December 1, 2025 | By Jennifer Hunt Murty
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UPDATED March 31, 2026, to add Wanda Wimberly Lasher:

Six candidates have filed to run for the Marion County Commission District 4 seat currently held by Commissioner Carl Zalak, who has served four consecutive terms. Zalak has not publicly announced whether he intends to seek a fifth term.

The field includes five Republicans—Jeff Bairstow, Sherri Meadows, Clint Barkley, Randall Alvord and Wanda Wimberly Lasher—and one candidate with no party affiliation, Anthony Barriner-Massa.

District 4 encompasses a large stretch of northeastern Marion County, including portions of Ocala, Silver Springs, Citra, Fort McCoy, Salt Springs, the Ocala National Forest and surrounding rural communities.

The salary, established by the State of Florida, is $110,896.

Republican candidates who qualify will face off in the primary election scheduled for Aug. 18, 2026.

To qualify, the candidates will need to either submit 2,659 candidate petitions signed by Marion County registered voters or pay a qualifying fee of $6,653.76 within the qualifying period of June 8 – 12, 2026.

Below is an overview of the candidates who provided information to the “Gazette.”

Anthony Barriner-Massa (NPA)

Barriner-Massa, who is running with no party affiliation, provided a resume outlining employment in custodial services, commercial cleaning and floor maintenance. He most recently began working at Gold’s Gym in Ocala in August 2024. He listed volunteer work including a Scott Springs Park trash cleanup and efforts with the Marion County Animal Center.

Barriner-Massa said he is unmarried and has no children. He said he filed to run because he believes “most of the people, myself included, aren’t represented correctly by our current commissioners.”

“Many people in Marion County are unhappy with the direction our county is heading,” he wrote, adding that he wants to “bring back the idea of public servants who truly work for the people and bring our communities together.” He also cited concerns about foreclosures in Ocala and questioned the county’s emphasis on new housing development rather than existing issues.

Jeff Bairstow (Republican)

Bairstow has lived in Marion County for most of his life and spent nearly three decades with the Ocala Police Department, where he served from 1987 until his retirement in 2016. After retiring, he opened a private investigation agency and operates a fingerprinting service with his wife, to whom he has been married for 36 years. They have two adult children.

Bairstow said he coached  Little League baseball and volunteered as a youth minister at Blessed Trinity Catholic Church for about 15 years. He said his motivation for running stems from witnessing “uncontrolled growth in Marion County” that he believes has outpaced investment in public safety, schools and roads.

“We need to have a change in our government in order to change the status quo,” he wrote. He said infrastructure should be addressed “before the shovel hits the dirt for new housing developments.”

Sherri Meadows (Republican)

A REALTOR® for more than 40 years, Meadows filed on Nov. 14 and emphasized her long record in real estate, business leadership and statewide advocacy. She serves as Broker and Team Leader of The Meadows Team of Meadows Realty LLC and has held leadership roles on the boards of the National Association of Realtors, the Florida Association of Realtors and the Ocala/Marion County Association of Realtors. She was named Florida Realtor of the Year in 2015 and recognized as a “Woman of Influence” by “HousingWire” in 2017.

In her press release, Meadows said she is running because she believes she can “make a difference for the community I love.”

“For over 40 years, I’ve worked for the people and the land of Marion County,” she said. “I understand the challenges we face, and I also see the many possibilities for our future. I will do everything I can to promote a healthy economy while preserving what makes us unique and special.”

Her public-service experience includes serving on the Marion County Land Development Regulation Commission, the Florida Health Choices board and the Marion County Housing Finance Authority. Meadows lives in Salt Springs and Ocala with her husband of 41 years.

Randall Alvord (Republican)

Alvord, a longtime resident of northeast Marion County, is a broker/owner of RnB Realty and has also worked for more than 16 years as a financial representative with a national fraternal insurance organization. He served in the Marine Corps during the Gulf War in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

His civic involvement includes service as past president of both the Ocala/Marion County Association of Realtors and the Kiwanis Club of Ocala. He currently serves on the FHS FFA Alumni board and the Arnette House board and is active at First Christian Church of Ocala.

Alvord said his priorities include preserving agriculture, addressing growth impacts and avoiding costly legal disputes.

“We need to stop getting pulled into indefensible lawsuits that we keep losing because of personal agendas on the board,” he wrote. He also pledged to serve no more than two terms if elected.

Clint Barkley (Republican)

Barkley currently works as a Zoning Technician II in Marion County’s Planning and Zoning Department, part of the county’s Growth Services division. He said he has spent the past five years working for the county in both Utilities and Growth Services.

Before entering county government, Barkley spent more than 30 years in the hospitality industry, including management positions at several Marion County restaurants. He listed past roles as:

• Training general manager, Moe’s Southwest Grill (2 years)
• General manager, Scooples Ice Cream Parlor (5 years)
• Kitchen manager, Tommy’s BBQ (3 years)
• Sous chef, Pi on Broadway (3 years)
• Assistant general manager, Gator Joe’s Beach Bar & Grill (2 years)

Barkley said he holds a high school diploma and some college coursework. He has lived in Marion County since the late 1970s, with a short period spent living out west before returning in 2004. He is married, has two adult children who live in Texas, and his wife has two adult children and a granddaughter in Marion County.

He said he decided to run after observing “a decline in civic engagement and concern for our citizens and the state of our infrastructure over recent years.”

 

Wanda Wimberly Lasher (Republican)

Lasher, a lifelong resident of Citra in northern Marion County, graduated from North Marion High School and has spent much of her career in business and community activities in the area.

Her background includes operating and managing convenience stores in her family’s Jiffy Convenience Food Stores business, founding and running a flatbed trucking company, Jiffy Transport, and later a freight brokerage business, Jiffy Logistics. She has also operated other small businesses, including a restaurant and rental property investments.

Lasher previously worked with the Marion County school system as a job coach at North Marion High School and serves as vice chairman of the Citra Improvement Society. She also founded W.A.N.D.A. Cares Rescue, a nonprofit organization focused on rescuing and rehoming dogs from shelters and other situations.

In campaign materials, Lasher outlines priorities that include fiscal responsibility, infrastructure improvements, workforce development, support for small businesses and public safety resources.