Joe Van Vactor is running for Florida lieutenant governor on a No Party Affiliation ticket with gubernatorial candidate Dean Ocean Abrams in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Van Vactor is based in Glen St. Mary in Baker County. According to the Abrams campaign website, he works with veterans and seniors, two groups he says Florida promises much to but delivers little for. Van Vactor says his campaign accepts no corporate donations. "Our campaign is funded solely by the people, ensuring our independence is absolute," according to his campaign website.

Florida elects the governor and lieutenant governor together on a joint ticket. The other lieutenant governor running mates are: Benjiman Rojas (No Party Affiliation), Bryan Avila (Republican), Gwen Graham (Democratic), Juan Santana (No Party Affiliation), Nicole Skelly (Libertarian), Rachel Rodriguez (No Party Affiliation) and Ruben A. Coto (No Party Affiliation).

Candidate information

  • Office sought: Florida lieutenant governor
  • Party: No Party Affiliation
  • Running mate: Dean Ocean Abrams (governor)
  • Residence: Glen St. Mary, Florida (Baker County)
  • Ballot status: Certified for the general election

Van Vactor previously ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Florida's 3rd Congressional District in 2026 but was disqualified from the general election, according to Ballotpedia.

Experience and public service

Van Vactor says he is a United States Air Force veteran. He also describes himself as a disaster project manager and an educator, according to his campaign website.

On the issues

Public education: Van Vactor says he opposes diverting public school funds to private, for-profit companies and supports returning school voucher money to public schools. He opposes state-required standardized testing, arguing school boards should develop their own assessments worth 20% of a student's grade, which he says would save $54–$80 million annually. He also says he opposes allowing private, for-profit entities to use school board properties for commercial operations.

Veterans: Van Vactor says veteran homelessness is a pressing issue he aims to confront as lieutenant governor.

Environment and technology: Van Vactor's campaign priorities include saving Florida's fresh water, stopping data centers and removing license plate reader cameras, according to his campaign website.

Healthcare and insurance: Van Vactor says tackling home and health insurance costs is a key campaign priority.

Campaign finance: Van Vactor pledges to accept no corporate donations and says he wants to stop foreign and corporate money from entering elections, according to his campaign website.