Who is running for Florida House, District 66 in 2026?
Here are the candidates for Florida House, District 66 on the November 3, 2026 ballot. This race is on the ballot for voters in Florida House District 66.
Positions come only from each candidate's own votes, official actions, statements and questionnaire answers, never from party labels. Every item links to its source.
Side by side
Each candidate's position on the issues this office handles, from their own record. Details and sources are in each profile below.
| Issue | Jose A. "Dante" Sanchez SanchezDemocrat | Traci KosterRepublican |
|---|---|---|
| Abortion | No public position | Legal in early pregnancy, restricted after thatVoted · medium |
| Guns | No public position | Remove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightVoted · medium |
| Energy and climate | All of the above: oil, gas, nuclear and renewables, and let markets pickSaid · medium | No single answer fits; see evidence |
| School choice | No public position | Yes, universal school choice for every familyVoted · medium |
| Curriculum and books | No public position | Parents, including the right to remove material they object toVoted · medium |
| Policing and crime | No public position | Tougher sentences, more police funding, and stricter bailVoted · medium |
| Election rules | No public position | Strict photo ID, paper ballots, cleaner voter rolls and fewer mail ballotsVoted · medium |
| Gender care for minors | No public position | No, ban these treatments for minorsVoted · medium |
| Redistricting | No public position | State legislatures draw maps and may redraw any time, including for partisan advantageVoted · medium |
| Transgender athletes | No public position | No, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsVoted · medium |
| DEI programs | No public position | Ban DEI offices and required training at public institutionsVoted · medium |
| China policy | No public position | Get tougher: broad tariffs, state bans on land purchases, and forced app salesVoted · medium |
Jose A. "Dante" Sanchez Sanchez
DemocratPrivate citizen; U.S. Air Force veteran
Jose A. "Dante" Sanchez Sanchez is a U.S. Air Force veteran from Tampa whose campaign is built on what he calls God, family and community1. He is unopposed for the Democratic nomination in House District 66 and faces incumbent Republican Traci Koster on November 3, 20262.
Where they stand 1 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
Energy and climateAll of the above: oil, gas, nuclear and renewables, and let markets pickmedium
Said · medium confidence- His platform says Florida needs an all-of-the-above energy strategy, expanding commercial solar, battery storage and smart-grid technology, with state tax exemptions for businesses that install rooftop solar and battery microgrids. (2026-06) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Guns, Immigration, School choice, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Gender care for minors, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.
Traci Koster
Republican · IncumbentFlorida State Representative, District 66
Traci Koster is a marital and family law attorney, born in Greensboro, North Carolina, who earned a legal studies degree from the University of Central Florida and a law degree from Stetson University in 2009 and co-founded Tampa Bay Pro Bono Partners12. First elected to the Florida House in 2020 from District 64, she has represented District 66 since 2022, won re-election in 2024 with 58.3 percent, and faces Democrat Jose "Dante" Sanchez Sanchez on November 3, 202613.
Where they stand 15 issues · tap any issue for the evidence
AbortionLegal in early pregnancy, restricted after thatmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 5 (2022), which banned most abortions after 15 weeks with exceptions for the mother's life or health and fatal fetal conditions but not for rape or incest; it passed the House 78 to 39. (2022-02-17) source
GunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 543 (2023), which allows carrying a concealed weapon without a permit; it passed the House 76 to 32. (2023-03-24) source
- Voted yes on HB 759 (2025), which would have lowered the minimum age to buy a rifle or shotgun from 21 to 18; it died in the Senate; it passed the House 78 to 34. (2025-03-26) source
- Voted yes on HB 133 (2026), which would have lowered the minimum age to buy a rifle or shotgun from 21 to 18; it died in the Senate; it passed the House 74 to 37. (2026-01-15) source
School choiceYes, universal school choice for every familymedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 1 (2023), which made every Florida K-12 student eligible for a state scholarship that can pay for private school or home education; it passed the House 83 to 27. (2023-03-17) source
- Her campaign site says scholarship programs such as the Hope Scholarship and the Gardiner Scholarship give parents peace of mind and must be protected. (2020) source
DEI programsBan DEI offices and required training at public institutionsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 266 (2023), which barred public colleges and universities from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion programs; it passed the House 81 to 34. (2023-05-03) source
- Voted yes on HB 7 (2022), the Individual Freedom Act often called the Stop WOKE Act, which restricted how race related concepts can be taught in schools and in workplace training; it passed the House 74 to 41. (2022-02-24) source
Gender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 254 (2023), which banned puberty blockers, hormones and surgery for minors as treatment for gender dysphoria; it passed the House 83 to 28. (2023-05-04) source
Transgender athletesNo, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 1028 (2021), which limits school and college sports teams designated for girls or women to students who were female at birth; it passed the House 79 to 37. (2021-04-28) source
Election rulesStrict photo ID, paper ballots, cleaner voter rolls and fewer mail ballotsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 90 (2021), which limited ballot drop boxes, required voters to renew mail ballot requests more often and added identification requirements for mail ballot requests; it passed the House 77 to 40. (2021-04-29) source
- Voted yes on SB 524 (2022), which created a state election crimes office, expanded voter roll maintenance and raised penalties for collecting others' ballots; it passed the House 76 to 41. (2022-03-09) source
Policing and crimeTougher sentences, more police funding, and stricter bailmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 1 (2021), which created new crimes and tougher penalties tied to riots and let the state review local cuts to police budgets; it passed the House 76 to 39. (2021-03-26) source
Curriculum and booksParents, including the right to remove material they object tomedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 1467 (2022), which required school districts to post library materials, have certified media specialists review them and give parents a process to object to books; it passed the House 79 to 41. (2022-03-10) source
- Voted yes on HB 1557 (2022), the Parental Rights in Education law, which barred classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade; it passed the House 69 to 47. (2022-02-24) source
China policyGet tougher: broad tariffs, state bans on land purchases, and forced app salesmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 264 (2023), which restricts people and companies from China and several other countries from buying land in Florida, with the strictest limits on China; it passed the House 95 to 17. (2023-05-04) source
RedistrictingState legislatures draw maps and may redraw any time, including for partisan advantagemedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on HB 1-D (2026), which redrew Florida's congressional districts in the middle of the decade at the governor's request; it passed the House 83 to 28. (2026-04-29) source
ImmigrationNo single answer fitsmedium
Voted · medium confidence- Voted yes on SB 1718 (2023), which required private employers with 25 or more workers to use E-Verify, created penalties for transporting people who entered the country illegally, and voided out of state driver licenses issued to people without legal status; it passed the House 83 to 36. (2023-05-02) source
- Voted yes on SB 2-C (2025), which created a State Board of Immigration Enforcement, funded local cooperation with federal immigration agents and required local law enforcement to take part; it passed the House 85 to 30. (2025-02-13) source
- Voted yes on SB 4-C (2025), which created state crimes for entering Florida after entering the country illegally and required those charged to be held without bond; it passed the House 85 to 29. (2025-02-13) source
E-Verify mandateNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted yes on SB 1718 (2023), which required private employers with 25 or more workers to use E-Verify, created penalties for transporting people who entered the country illegally, and voided out of state driver licenses issued to people without legal status; it passed the House 83 to 36. (2023-05-02) source
Religion in schoolsNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted yes on HB 931 (2024), which lets school districts choose to allow volunteer chaplains in schools; it passed the House 89 to 25. (2024-02-22) source
Energy and climateNo single answer fitslow
Voted · low confidence- Voted yes on HB 1645 (2024), a broad energy bill that removed most references to climate change from state law, banned offshore wind turbines, eased natural gas pipeline rules and ordered a study of advanced nuclear technology; it passed the House 81 to 29. (2024-03-07) source
No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Housing and growth, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Spotted something wrong? Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.