More than 216,000 Pasco County voters who aren't registered Republicans will have no say in who represents them on the County Commission's District 4 seat. A write-in candidate's last-minute filing triggered a closed primary under Florida law, limiting the Aug. 18 ballot to registered Republicans only.

The District 4 commissioner represents part of Wesley Chapel, but all Pasco County Commission seats are elected countywide. That means any of the county's 179,700 registered Republicans can vote in this primary, while the remaining 216,667 voters cannot.

Incumbent Commissioner Lisa Yeager faces challenger Jonathon Deckard, a Marine Corps veteran and small business owner from New Port Richey.

How the Primary Got Closed

Had write-in candidate Louie Rodriguez not filed, all registered Pasco voters could have participated in the Aug. 18 primary because both declared candidates are Republicans. Florida's universal primary rule, passed by 64% of voters in 1998, opens single-party primaries to all voters. But a loophole exists: When a write-in candidate qualifies for the general election, the primary closes to that party's registered voters only.

Rodriguez filed on the last day to qualify. He is a registered Republican who does not live in District 4. In 2022, he ran as a write-in in the District 2 race, raised no campaign funds and dropped out after the primary. District 2 Commissioner Seth Weightman won that closed Republican primary and ran unopposed in November. Rodriguez's name will not appear on the Aug. 18 primary ballot. If he remains qualified, his name would appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

"I believe this is simply a tactic that closes the primary and prevents many Pasco County residents from having a voice," Deckard told Neighborhood News Online.

Yeager declined to comment on Rodriguez, saying she stands on her own merit. Troy Stevenson, chair of the Republican Executive Committee of Pasco, also declined to speak on the record about the write-in tactic. Rodriguez did not respond to Neighborhood News Online's request for an interview.

Meet the Candidates

Yeager was appointed to the District 4 seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2024 after Commissioner Gary Bradford's death. She is running for her first full term. Before joining the commission, she spent a decade as director of the Teen Parent Program at Pasco County Schools. Her husband, Brad Yeager, is the state representative for Florida House District 56. As of June 28, she had raised $56,350, according to PascoVotes.gov.

Deckard, a father of three, worked in the automotive service industry for more than a decade and ran his own mobile auto repair company before selling it. This is his first run for political office. He had raised just under $12,800 as of June 28, according to PascoVotes.gov.

Both candidates support a moratorium on large-scale data centers in Pasco County and cite rapid overdevelopment as a top concern. Deckard said he would seek a temporary moratorium on new residential developments in his first year. Yeager said growth should be managed carefully and serve residents' best interests.

What Wesley Chapel Voters Need to Know

The deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation was July 20. Under Florida law, party changes made within 29 days of an election do not take effect until after that election. Early voting runs Aug. 8 through Aug. 15.

Pasco's primary turnout has been low: 24.88% in 2022 and 15.88% in 2024. Voter registration data is from the Florida Division of Elections as of May 31.