A Republican incumbent who won 80% of the vote in 2024 is facing a Democratic challenger in the District 5 Florida House of Representatives race, a seat that has gone red for 20 years.
District 5 covers much of the Florida Panhandle, including Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson, Walton, and Washington counties. The district is predominantly white with a male majority at 52%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The ballot features Republican Shane Abbott and Democrat Alex Finney for District 5 State Representative.
Abbott, a Republican, was first elected in 2022
Incumbent Shane Abbott has held his seat for four years and has prioritized a conservative agenda that closely aligns with Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump. His campaign website states that his legislative record is defined by a commitment to the conservative values of his district, such as protecting the right to life and defending the Second Amendment. Abbott, a Republican, is running against Democrat Alexander Finney.
Abbott did not respond to numerous requests for interviews. Information on his background and platforms was gathered from verified websites and online sources.
Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Abbott lives in DeFuniak Springs with his wife and children. He graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in pharmacy in 1998. Abbott founded an independent pharmacy, The Prescription Place, in 2006, which has two locations in Defuniak Springs and Niceville. While in office, he continues to work as a pharmacist, and operates the Firestone Tire Service Center in Defuniak Springs.
Abbott has served on the Northwest Florida State College Board of Trustees and is on the Institutional Advisory Committee for Emerald Coast Technical College. He is a member of the Florida Pharmacy Association, and is an active member of Destiny Worship Center in Freeport, according to his campaign website. Abbott has been endorsed by the NRA (which gave him an ‘A’ grade), Florida Right to Life, Associated Industries of Florida, Florida Family Action, and Florida Medical Association, among others.
According to his campaign website, Abbott’s background in pharmacy helps fuel his mission to lower the cost of prescription drugs in Florida.
“Being a pharmacist gives me insight into how the health care world works,” said Abbott in a 2025 interview with Health News Florida. “It allows me to bring that piece into the legislative side.”
He helped advance The Prescription Drug Reform Act, according to BillTrack50, which aimed to target how much the cost of prescription drugs can be increased. The bill died in committee.
Abbott supports both the Trump administration and DeSantis, and is pro-life and a strong believer in protecting the Second Amendment, according to his campaign website.
He is supporting Amendment 3 on the upcoming ballot, which increases the homestead exemption.
Finney, a software engineer, ran unopposed in the primary
Alex Finney is the Democratic candidate for the District 5 Florida House of Representatives seat. Republicans have represented the district since 1996, when Democrat Sam Mitchell last held the seat.
Finney did not respond to numerous interview requests. Information on his background and platforms was gathered from verified websites and online sources.
Finney is a native of District 5, hailing from DeFuniak Springs. As an adult, he left his hometown state of Florida for Mississippi and Georgia to attend school, and received his master’s degree in computer science at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He later returned home to Florida, setting roots back in his hometown in the center of District 5. He worked as a software engineer for eight years at Anyar, Inc., according to his LinkedIn profile. The profile does not indicate where or if he currently works.
Finney is backed by the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida (DECF). The caucus, which runs under the “Think Green, Vote Blue” environmental banner, backs Finney in hopes that he will advocate for environmental reform if seated.
Finney ran unopposed in the Democratic primary held on Aug. 18, 2026, advancing to the general election. According to campaign documents, Finney paid a $458 fine for submitting campaign documents on July 4, 2026, after the state’s June 19 deadline. Finney’s campaign website remains simple, telling his fellow Walton County neighbors that “A campaign for District 5 is taking shape,” promising information on his stances in the near future.
