Here is the Daily Commercial’s guide to the Republican candidates for Lake and Sumter boards of county commissioners.
All the candidates listed here are Republicans. Democratic candidates such as Lake County’s Egor Emery for District 4 may appear on the general election ballot this November.
Election dates
The primary election will take place on Aug. 18. Early voting is Aug. 6-15. The general midterm election is Nov. 3.
Information from candidate forums, news articles, online state election records and candidate websites was sourced for the below listing:
For full details, visit lakevotes.gov/200/Early-Voting-Locations-Status
Lake County BoCC, District 2 GOP Primary
Lake County Commission District 2 encompasses the southern central part of the county, including parts of Clermont, the cities of Minneola and Montverde, as well as the surrounding South Lake County region. County commissioners represent districts but are elected countywide.
Because there are two write-in candidates on the November ballot, this primary will be open only to registered Republican voters.
Sean Parks
Background: Sean Parks holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a master’s in engineering management, bringing a background in urban and regional planning to his role. A Central Florida native, an Eagle Scout and a small business owner consultant, the incumbent has served on the Lake County Board of County Commissioners since first being elected to the Lake County Water Authority in 2004. Core philosophy: “Quality of life has to be front and center,” he said at a past meeting. Tempered by conservative, pro-traditional family objectives, Parks views land and water conservation as essential to long-term prosperity, not as an anti-growth stance.
Platform: Parks’ platform emphasizes servant leadership, business-friendly economic development and conservation. He advocates for family amenities, such as the recently completed South Lake Regional Park and has championed the Wellness Way Plan to bring high-wage jobs to the county while, he claims, protecting its quality of life. Parks also emphasizes improving public safety, parks and recreation and local water resources.
Website: voteforsean.com
Humberto ‘Bert’ Liriano
Background: Dr. Humberto “Bert” Liriano is a pediatric emergency physician and small business owner. A resident of Minneola, he’s married and is a father of six children. His medical research has focused on pediatric asthma management, pediatric traumatic brain injury, critical care sedation and infectious diseases. He’s a Roman Catholic of Dominican descent and speaks fluent Spanish with conversational proficiency in French and Japanese.
Core philosophy: Liriano’s campaign currently positions him as the primary conservative alternative to the incumbent and a watchdog on rampant growth and public health, as well as the need for services and infrastructure.
Platform: He leverages his medical background to promote improving public safety and emergency services, providing strong backing and advocating for advanced resources and support for first responders, sheriff’s deputies and EMS teams to ensure community safety.
Website: votebertliriano2026.com
Lake County BoCC District 4 GOP Primary
Lake County Commission District 4 covers Mount Dora, Eustis, Umatilla and the surrounding areas. County commissioners represent districts but are elected countywide.
Because there are two write-in candidates and a Democratic candidate on the November ballot, this primary will be open only to registered Republican voters.
Leslie Campione
Background: Leslie Campione is an attorney and a longtime Lake County resident who has operated her own law practice since 1993, focusing on local government, environmental and land-use law. She previously served as the city attorney for Lady Lake, Montverde and Umatilla before taking office on the county commission, where she currently serves as chairwoman. A Eustis High graduate, she has a private law practice, Leslie Campione, P.A., in Mount Dora.
Core philosophy: Deeply conservative, she advocates for free-market principles, small business growth and technical career education. She also advocates for animal welfare, having previously led the charge to transition the Lake County Animal Shelter into a no-kill facility. Platform: Campione’s campaign emphasizes protecting Lake County’s rural lands from urban annexation and preserving its agricultural character. Her image conveys confident leadership, passion for local lakes and landscapes, history and local culture, expertise and resolve in deciding growth management issues, knowing what’s legal and feasible, showing up just about everywhere and undeterred in delivering a difficult and unpopular vote when push comes to shove.
Website: lesliecampione.com
David Williamson
Background: Williamson is a lifelong Lake County resident, small business owner, and U.S. Coast Guard-licensed captain and local fishing guide. Public records and campaign materials associate his home base and local involvement with the Umatilla and unincorporated north Lake County area. He’s a graduate of Umatilla High School, class of 2013.
Core philosophy: Williamson believes local government should put people before special interests and that growth should never come at the expense of the established community’s character and resources. He recently spoke to WKMG against officials pouring aluminum sulfate (alum) into Lake Yale to combat algal blooms, suggesting instead that the lake should be left alone to regenerate its native grasses.
Platform: His campaign focuses heavily on fighting what he and his supporters deem irresponsible overdevelopment while ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with growth. He’s passionate about protecting Lake County’s waterways by reducing chemical treatments. He assures transparency and accountability, and has pledged to serve no more than two terms and to donate at least 25% of his commissioner salary back to the community.
Website: facebook.com/p/David-Williamson-for-Lake-County-Commissioner-District-4-61582610873972/
Sumter County BoCC District 4 GOP Primary
Because there is a write-in candidate on the November ballot, this primary will be open only to registered Republican voters.
Jeffrey Bogue
Background: The incumbent Republican Sumter County commissioner has served since 2022. He began his career in the fire and EMS field, and became a Firefighter/EMT, then a Paramedic, a Trauma Flight Paramedic, and is currently the director of emergency medical services for AdventHealth. Bogue has served on various state and local boards in his healthcare role. He and his wife, Amy, have been married for 29 years and have three children.
Core philosophy: A conservative Christian, Bogue says he is guided by faith, family and fiscal responsibility. He believes in limited government, accountability, protecting rural communities, and ensuring Sumter County grows responsibly while preserving its agricultural heritage and small-town values.
Platform: As a sitting commissioner, his voting record reflects typical conservative local government priorities, focusing on zoning, infrastructure and the maintenance of essential emergency services.
Website: votebogue.com
Michael Squier
Background: He grew up in Sumter County with rural, working-class roots. He is a delivery driver and has previous experience in corrections and self-employment.
Platform: Squier promises to hold rotating town halls across the county for better transparency. He supports responsible development where developers pay their fair share and infrastructure keeps up. He also aims to provide practical fiscal oversight by questioning waste while protecting essential services like fire, EMS, roads and libraries.
Core philosophy: Advocates for “accountable government working for One Sumter.” He believes that government should be transparent and accessible, and that growth must serve the people who already live there and not overwhelm them.
Website: facebook.com/Squier4Sumter
This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Get to know Lake & Sumter commission candidates before primary
Reporting by Julie Garisto, Leesburg Daily Commercial / Daily Commercial
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Julie Garisto, Leesburg Daily Commercial | USA TODAY Network
