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The Florida Primary Election, which includes races affecting Cape Coral voters, is on
Tuesday, August 18, 2026.
Key dates for Cape Coral / Lee County voters:
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Early voting: August 8–15, 2026
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Deadline to register or change party affiliation: July 20, 2026
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Vote-by-mail request deadline: August 6, 2026
For the City of Cape Coral specifically, the 2026 city races for Mayor and Council Districts 1, 4, and 6 are nonpartisan and are scheduled with the November 3, 2026 General Election.
Candidate Info
The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly!
Lisa Cohen-Adkinson
Candidate for Mayor
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 1990
Republican Party of Florida
Realtor or Builder? - YES
CAREER HISTORY: Broker/ Property Manager at Valor Real Estate Services
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY: Review pending
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? YES
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
Richard E Erickson
Candidate for Mayor
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 1989
Republican Party of Florida
Realtor or Builder? - NO
CAREER HISTORY: SaveOurVet.org (Founder & President), Norsemen Ops LLC (Founder & President), USPS, Army National Guard, Army (Active Duty)
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY:
Review pending
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? - No
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
John Wilber Gunter III
Candidate for Mayor
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 2007
Political Party Unknown
Realtor or Builder? - Current Builder
CAREER HISTORY: Gulf Coast Premier Homes, Inc. (President), Gulf Coast Roofing & Gutters, Inc., East Coast Construction and Gutters, Inc., New Cut Construction Inc. (President), Maryland Seamless Gutters
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY:
Where do we even start? 🙄 Multiple judgments totaling over $28,633, arrested for property damage and violent behavior, a chronic dodger of summons, and someone who doesn’t pay their credit card bills! Bought a $1,000,000 Boat and illegally Registered it in Delaware to seemingly save on taxes. Probably more to come...
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? - Current Mayor
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
Richard Andrew Leon
Candidate for Mayor
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 1989
Republican Party of Florida
Realtor or Builder? - NO
CAREER HISTORY: Non-Profit (Kiwanis), Pollo Tropical (Assistant Manager), Massage Envy (Business Manager), Cape Coral Council, CVS (Supervisor)
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY:
2020 - 1 EXCEEDING SPEED LIMIT(REQUIRES SPEEDS) 072/45. 2023 - 1 TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE/FAIL TO OBEY (X2)
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? Yes & Former Council Member
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
Kara Rogers
Candidate for Mayor
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 2022
Democratic Party of Florida
Realtor or Builder? - NO
CAREER HISTORY: Powers & Rogers, PLLC (Founding Partner), Light Path Law, P.A. (Associate Attorney), Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz, P.A. (Associate Attorney), Burandt, Adamski, Feichthaler & Sanchez, PLLC (Associate Attorney)
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY:
2018 - 1 EXCEEDING SPEED LIMIT(REQUIRES SPEEDS) 082/55. 2023 - 1 FAIL/YIELD/INTERSECTION
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? No
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
Dan Sheppard
Candidate for Mayor
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - TBD
Republican Party of Florida
Realtor or Builder? - NO
CAREER HISTORY: TBD
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY:
Review pending
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? - Sometimes
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
Email TBD
Sean Hartman
Candidate for District 1
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 2009
Republican Party of Florida
Realtor or Builder? - NO
CAREER HISTORY: Republican Party of Lee County (Director of Communications), Penta Group (Research Assistant), Cape Coral Business Alliance (Director of Government Affairs, President), Gifted Digital Media (Content Writer), SuEllen's Floral Company, and many others
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY:
Review pending
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? No
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
David Newton
Candidate for District 1
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 2019
Republican Party of Florida Since 2026 (prior No Party Affiliation since 2020, Was also NPA in Nevada)
Realtor or Builder? - NO
CAREER HISTORY: TBD
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY:
Review pending
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? NO
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
Thomas James Senatore
Candidate for District 1
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 2004
Republican Party of Florida
Realtor or Builder? - Current Realtor
CAREER HISTORY: TLD International LLC (CEO - Founder), Bella Casa Services, LLC (Real Estate Broker / Owner) Knights of Columbus Insurance (Insurance Field Agent), Locker & Pellegrino Law Firm (Paralegal)
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY:
Review pending
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? Yes
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
Tom Shadrach
Candidate for District 1
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 2018
Republican Party of Florida
Realtor or Builder? - NO
CAREER HISTORY: 37-year career with Boeing (retired in 2017)
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY: Tom Shadrach vs. Boeing was an age discrimination lawsuit that ultimately ended in a settlement.
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? YES!
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
Monica I Shintani
Candidate for District 1
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 2012
No Party Affiliation
Realtor or Builder? - NO
CAREER HISTORY: Bottomline Technologies (Senior Technical Services Engineer & Production Support Engineer), Intuit (Lead BFS TS Engineer & Sr Technical Support Engineer), Digital Insight an Intuit Company (Thecnical Support Engineer, Mathematics Teacher.
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY: Review pending
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? No
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
Jennifer Nelson Lastra
Candidate for District 4
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 2008
Republican Party of Florida Since 2020 (prior Democratic Party of Florida since 2009)
Realtor or Builder? - NO
CAREER HISTORY: Non-Profit Dress for Success of SWFL (Executive Director), Purpose Driven Strategies (Consultant), Cape Coral Council, Uncommon Friends Foundation (Executive Director), Goodwill Industries of SWFL (Sr. Director of Retail Operation and E-commerce & Vice President of Retail Operations)
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY:
Nelson vs. Captiva Erosion Prevention District was a federal sexual harassment case filed in the Middle District of Florida that concluded with an out-of-court settlement.
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? - Current Council Member
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
James "Jimmy" Vargas
Candidate for District 4
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - TBD
Republican Party of Florida
Realtor or Builder? - TBD
CAREER HISTORY: TBD
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY: Review pending
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? No
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
Joe Angrisano
Candidate for District 6
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 2020
Republican Party of Florida
Realtor or Builder? - NO
CAREER HISTORY: The Home Depot (Flooring Specialist), Florida Fashion Plus (Owner), Action Apparel Inc. (Digital Marketing Manager), Zagster (Mechanic and Warehouse Manager), Sound And Vision Media (Digital Marketing Specialist), OnPage Corporation (Director of Digital Marketing), LocatePLUS (Digital Marketing Director), LP Police (Digital Marketing Director) LP Police, Background101.com (Digital Marketing Director), Media Crush (Founding Partner), The Herb Chambers Companies (Brand & Reputation Consulting), Boston Nightclub News (Owner)
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY:
Review pending
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? Yes
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
Jeff Huddleston
Candidate for District 6
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 2014
Republican Party of Florida
Realtor or Builder? - NO
CAREER HISTORY: Fire, EMS, and Air Medical Industry, and the hospitality industry, including bartending and bar ownership.
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY:
Review pending
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? Yes
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
Liza King
Candidate for District 6
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 1990
Republican Party of Florida (not verifiable)
Realtor or Builder? - Current Realtor
CAREER HISTORY: Realtor, 20th Judicial Circuit Administrative Office of the Courts (Chief Deputy Court Administrator & Criminal Division Director, 20th Judicial Circuit, Administrative Office of the Courts & Deputy Criminal Justice Director & Pretrial Services Manager & Pretrial Officer), Clerk of Court (Department Team Leader)
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY:
No Known Legal Trouble
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? No
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
Raymond Salvatore Mule
Candidate for District 6
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 2021
Republican Party of Florida
Realtor or Builder? - Retired Realtor
CAREER HISTORY: Keller Williams Village Square Realty (Broker Associate / Realtor), Davis Realtors (Broker Associate / Realtor), Weichert Realtors (Realtor Associate), Merrill Lynch & Co (Private Client Group - Vice President), Shearson Lehman Brothers (Private Client Systems), JPMorgan Chase (Decision Support Services Technology)
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY:
No Known Legal Trouble
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? No
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
Annette Warren
Candidate for District 6
Full-Time in Cape Coral Since - 1986
Republican Party of Florida
Realtor or Builder? - NO
CAREER HISTORY: Priority Business Solutions (Merchant Consultant), Chamber of Commerce Cape Coral (Membership Sales & Special Events Director) Ann Taylor (Co-Manager), Blockbuster (Store Manager), United States Air Force (Security Fources)
LEGAL TROUBLES/HISTORY:
Review pending
Was I attending council meetings regularly before running for office? Yes
Who's Endorsing Me? - TBD
$$$ Who's Donating To Me? - TBD
More Details Coming Soon
Please note that we do not release information regarding legal matters that occurred when a candidate was under the age of 21, nor do we disclose information involving candidates who were victims of domestic violence.
We make every effort to ensure the information we publish is accurate and up to date. Candidates or campaign managers who wish to submit additional or updated information may do so by emailing us at the email address below.
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