Marion County Commission District 4 race update
Jeff Bairstow, Clint Barkley, Randall Alvord, Sherri Lynn Meadows, Wanda Wimberly Lasher, and Anthony Barriner-Massa
By Jennifer Hunt Murty
Wanda Wimberly Lasher has filed to run for the Marion County Commission District 4 seat, becoming the fifth Republican to enter the race for the seat currently held by Commissioner Carl Zalak.
As of the most recent candidate filings, Zalak has not publicly announced whether he will seek reelection for a fifth term. However, Florida public records indicate he recently obtained his real estate license and, as of last week, has joined Boyd Real Estate, a commercial development and real estate firm.
Lasher joins Republicans Randall Alvord, Jeff Bairstow, Clint Barkley and Sherri Lynn Meadows in the contest for the seat.
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. Voting in this race is not limited to voters who live in this district, but rather open to all registered Marion County voters.
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.
To date, the only candidate who has qualified is Bairstow.
The Republican primary winner will face Anthony Barriner-Massa, who is unaffiliated with any party, in the general election.
About Lasher
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.
Campaign fundraising
Campaign finance reports filed with the Marion County Supervisor of Elections show varying levels of fundraising among candidates in the race.
Meadows, has reported the largest amount raised, with $37,750 in monetary contributions and no expenditures reported. Campaign finance records indicate that $25,000 of that total was self-funded.
Bairstow has reported $5,280 in monetary contributions and $2,225.23 in in-kind contributions, along with $1,033.20 in expenditures.
Alvord has reported $1,250 in monetary contributions and $500 in in-kind contributions, with no expenditures reported.
Barriner-Massa has reported $239 in monetary contributions and $82.51 in expenditures.
Barkley has reported $80 in monetary contributions and $30 in expenditures.
Lasher has reported no monetary or in-kind contributions and no expenditures, as of the most recent campaign finance filing.
Election dates
Primary election day: Aug. 18, 2026 (polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
Voter registration/party change deadline: July 20, 2026
Early voting: Aug. 8–15, 2026, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Mail ballot request deadline: Aug. 6, 2026, by 5 p.m.
General election day: Nov. 3, 2026 (polls open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
Voter registration/party change deadline: Oct. 5, 2026
Early voting: TBA
Mail ballot request deadline: Oct. 22, 2026, by 5 p.m.
Note: Mail ballots must be received by the Supervisor of Elections office by 7 p.m. on election days to be counted.
Support community journalism
The first goal of the Ocala Gazette is to deliver trustworthy local journalism so corruption, misinformation and abuse are not hidden from the public or unchallenged.
