Republican incumbent Randy Fine is seeking re-election in District 6, which covers southern St. Johns County, Putnam and Flagler counties and residents of eastern Marion and northern Volusia counties. Fine, who was elected in a special election in 2025, is now seeking his first full term in Congress. Fine will face Democrat Eric Yonce in the general election, after the two candidates won their respective party primaries in August. They will also face a Libertarian candidate, a no party affiliation candidate, and a write-in candidate who qualified.
News4JAX sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote -- in their own words.
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Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically by party and are published exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4JAX staff.
| DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE |
Eric Yonce
Occupation: Small business owner
Age: 43
Family: (No answer)
Education: Some college - spent 22 years in retail
Political experience: No
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
For me, the top three issues are affordability, accountability, and bringing money back home.
First is affordability. People are working harder than ever and still falling behind. We can take action right away by taking back the House and ending these tariffs that are driving up the cost of everyday goods and hurting working families. But that’s only the first step. We also need long term solutions that make it possible to build a middle class again.
Second is accountability. We will never solve the big problems facing this country until we take money out of our politics. We need to overturn Citizens United, get corporate money out of our elections, ban members of Congress from trading stocks, and make government answer to the people instead of special interests.
Third is bringing money back home. Our district has sent tax dollars to Washington for years, and we deserve to see more of that investment come back. Our roads, water systems, and stormwater infrastructure are struggling under the weight of overdevelopment. If cities lose even more revenue, how are they supposed to address flooding, protect our water supply, and keep up with the growth we’ve already approved?
Those three issues are connected. If we make life more affordable, restore accountability, and invest in our communities, we’ll leave this district stronger than we found it.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
What makes me different is simple. I’m the only candidate who grew up in this district.
I’ve spent my entire life here. I’ve watched the political divide happen. I’ve been on both sides of the aisle. I’ve felt lost, forgotten, and used by political parties that cared more about winning than listening.
That story isn’t unique to me. It’s the story of a lot of people in this part of Florida.
Only someone who has lived their life here can truly understand what this district has been through and what it needs to move forward.
That’s why I believe listening comes first. Before we can rebuild roads, lower costs, or restore trust in government, we have to make people feel heard again.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I hope people remember that I never forgot who I worked for.
That I was accessible. That people knew they could call me, stop me at the grocery store, come to a town hall, or send me a message and actually get a response. That I was willing to sit down with anyone, whether they agreed with me or not, because representing a district means representing everyone.
I hope they remember that I fought to bring federal dollars back home to invest in our roads, bridges, water systems, flood mitigation, and the infrastructure our communities actually need.
I hope they remember that I worked to get big money out of our politics and put the voices of everyday people back where they belong, at the center of our democracy. Too many elected officials spend their time listening to donors instead of the people who sent them there.
I hope they remember that I showed up, I listened, I got things done, and I left this district better than I found it.
Campaign website: yonceforcongress.com
Campaign social media: Facebook | Instagram
Randy Fine
Campaign website: www.voterandyfine.com
Campaign social media: Facebook | X | Instagram | YouTube
The Republican incumbent, first elected to Congress in 2025, has not responded to email and telephone invitations to complete the News4JAX candidate questionnaire. If responses are received, they will be promptly posted in this space.
| LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATE |
Andrew Parrott
Occupation: Welder & entrepreneur
Age: 54
Family: Married
Education: Graduate of the Aviation Institute of Maintenance
Political experience: I ran for this seat in the special election in April of 2025.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
The economy will be my primary focus. Fighting inflation, lowering the cost of living and increasing affordability. Banking reforms will be a big part of the legislation I will be proposing.
Healthcare affordability affects us all and we can do better at making the system more about getting necessary care and less about unaffordable insurance plans.
Meaningful changes need to be made in immigration policy. Over time the system has become more labyrinthine and difficult to navigate and needs major reform. Streamlining the process to ensure a just and safe experience for those who desire to join our great nation.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
Not being beholden to the Republican or the Democrat parties I can do what is right for my neighbors. I will not be a rubber stamp for the parties that have failed us time and again.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I would like to be remembered as a champion of freedom and liberty.
Campaign website: www.andrewparrottforcongress.com
Campaign social media: Facebook | X
| NO PARTY AFFILIATION CANDIDATE |
Michael Gist
Occupation: Veteran
Age: 53
Family: Single with brothers, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Education: B.S., Rec. Park - Sport Management, University of Minnesota (1996) – Scholarship member of the football team
M.B.A., Global Management – National University (2002)
M.S., International Sport Management – University of Florida (2018)
Graduate coursework in International Affairs – U.S. Naval War College (2004)
Political experience: This is my first time running for public office. However, I bring a lifetime of real-world leadership and service that I believe prepares me well to represent the people of Florida’s 6th District.
I served 14 years as a U.S. Marine Corps Major and Military Intelligence Officer. In that role, I developed strong strategic thinking, decision-making under pressure, and the ability to analyze complex problems and deliver clear recommendations to senior leaders. My service took me around the world, where I observed how political systems and elites operate and how they often fail the people they’re supposed to serve.
After leaving the military, I spent a decade teaching and mentoring students in Volusia County schools right here in our community. That experience gave me direct insight into the challenges facing local families and the importance of practical, results-driven solutions to the significant amount of issues in education today.
Perhaps most importantly, I spent over 15 years fighting government retaliation and bureaucracy after being medically discharged from the Marine Corps. That battle taught me how the system actually works, how it protects itself, and what it takes to hold it accountable. I know how elites operate because I’ve had to fight them.
I’m not a career politician. I’m an Independent veteran, a former teacher, and a fighter who has spent his life serving this country and this community. I believe that kind of real-world experience combined with my deep family roots here in District 6 gives me a clearer understanding of what the people of this district actually need than someone who has only known politics.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
The top issues in this race all come down to one thing: Whether we the American people are going to continue to allow Washington to keep serving itself and elites (special interests), or finally start serving the American people again.
First, economic growth and fiscal responsibility. For too long, we’ve spent trillions on programs that create dependency instead of opportunity. My top priority is the “”Freedom Accounts Act"" a market-based solution that redirects a portion of anti-poverty spending, captures savings from governmental efficiency, and puts American assets like federal real estate and natural resources to work for the people instead of bureaucrats. Instead of more government programs, we give everyday Americans ownership and let the strength of the American economy build real generational wealth for families.
Second, education freedom and safety. Parents deserve the ability to choose the best and safest environment for their children. With too many schools struggling with discipline and safety issues, it’s time to let education dollars follow the student. I will fight for real school choice so families — not bureaucrats — decide where their children learn. Every child deserves access to a safe, high-quality education.
Third, government accountability. Trust in our institutions is broken. Whether it’s veterans waiting too long for the care and benefits we’ve earned, wasteful spending, or politicians putting party over people, we need real accountability. As a Veteran of the Marine Corps discharged for disability and a former teacher, I’ve seen both the best and the worst of how government treats the people it’s supposed to serve. I know how to cut through bureaucracy. I will work to make sure our veterans are taken care of, our tax dollars are respected, and elected officials remember they work for the people — not the other way around.
I’m running as an Independent because I believe the best solutions come when we stop playing partisan games and start focusing on what actually helps families and communities. These three priorities **are about reinforcing our FREEDOM, our opportunities with a government that works for the PEOPLE again.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I can help voters in a way most candidates cannot because I am not beholden to political parties or elites. I answer only to the American people and specifically to the people of Florida’s 6th District.
My family has lived, worked, and served in this community for more than 100 years. My grandparents chose to raise their family right here in District 6 because they believed in the people of this area. That’s the same commitment I carry with me.
I’m running as an Independent because I’ve seen how political parties actually operate both here in the United States and around the world during my service as a Military Intelligence officer in the Marine Corps. No matter the country or the party label, political parties consistently put themselves and the elites who control them ahead of the people. That’s why I will never join a political party. I will always be about the people.
My experience fighting government retaliation for over 15 years has given me a clear understanding of how the system protects itself and how difficult it is for regular Americans to get fairness when they challenge it. That fight taught me what real accountability requires.
Because of what I’ve seen both overseas and here at home, I know the solution isn’t more government control or more partisan politics. The solution is freedom, capitalism, and trusting the American people. That’s why I’m pushing the Freedom Accounts Act a real, market-based solution that gives people ownership instead of more dependency programs.
I’m not here to play political games or protect the system. I’m here to fight for the people of this district the same way I’ve fought for what’s right my entire adult life through public service in the military and as a teacher. I don’t owe anyone in Washington anything. I only owe the people who send me there.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
I would hope to be remembered for giving the American people especially low and middle-income families who have been struggling, a real path to build wealth and security for themselves and their children. More than anything, I want to be remembered for creating Freedom Accounts.
Freedom Accounts would redirect monies we’ve been spending for decades on programs that often trap people in dependency and instead put it directly into the hands of the American people. These accounts would be invested in the American economy, giving every citizen, not just the wealthy, the opportunity to grow their own wealth over time and pass it on to their families.
In the end, we made a clear choice between serving elites or serving the American people. Freedom Accounts is how we choose the people. It moves us away from a system designed to benefit the few and toward one where everyday families finally have a real stake in our economy and our future. I want to be remembered for helping people win — where hardworking families can build wealth, buy homes, send their kids to higher education, and create better lives for the next generation.
If years from now, families across this district and across the country are building generational wealth because of Freedom Accounts, then I will feel like I accomplished something meaningful. That’s the legacy I want to leave, not more government programs, but FREEDOM and more opportunity for the people.
Campaign website: gistfor6.com
Campaign social media: Facebook | X | Instagram
A write-in candidate, Alec Pavlik, has also qualified for the general election.