TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (August 27, 2026). Dean Abrams today named Joe Van Vactor as his candidate for Lieutenant Governor. The designation was hand-delivered to the Division of Elections in Tallahassee ahead of today's 5 p.m. deadline.
Van Vactor is a U.S. Air Force veteran who lives in Sanderson, in Baker County, where he has kept the same Florida home since 2005. He brings a North Florida and rural perspective to a ticket based in Sarasota.
"Joe served this country, and he has lived the rural Florida that Tallahassee forgets between elections," said Abrams. "He shares the conviction at the center of this campaign: government answers to the people, not to the parties or the donors."
Florida has about 1.5 million veterans, the third-largest veteran population in the nation. Veterans' housing, healthcare access, and suicide prevention are central parts of the Abrams platform.
The Abrams and Van Vactor ticket will appear on the November 3 general election ballot.
Media contact: Dean Abrams · dean@deanabrams.com · 941-233-4951
About Dean Abrams: Dean Abrams is a No Party Affiliation candidate for Governor of Florida. He spent 30 years in enterprise technology and management consulting, including Microsoft, HP, KPMG, and Avanade. His campaign is self-funded and accepts no PAC or corporate money.