Republican Senator Nick DiCeglie will run for reelection in 2026, seeking a second term representing Florida’s 18th Senate District, which covers part of Pinellas County.
DiCeglie was first elected to the Senate in 2022 after serving two terms in the Florida House. He succeeded Sen. Jeff Brandes, who was term-limited, and who now chairs the Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development.
DeCiglie’s Senate tenure was initially bumpy. In 2023, business partners at Solar Sanitation, the waste management company owned by his family, filed a lawsuit accusing him of misusing company funds for political expenses. DiCeglie has denied wrongdoing and pledged to reimburse the business for some expenses in question.
DiCeglie has built support across Florida’s political offices. Gov. Ron DeSantis endorsed him, along with former Attorney General (now Senator) Ashley Moody, who had previously said in a statement that DiCeglie “works tirelessly to keep Florida free and protect the American Dream for all Floridians.”
Most recently, his bill on hurricane preparedness and recovery (SB 180) passed the Senate unanimously, creating faster permitting processes by preventing local governments from imposing new regulations during rebuilding. The bill has received mixed responses – as it speeds processes, it also bypasses regulators, so old structures can be rebuilt without modernizing building standards.
DiCeglie’s current term ends in November 2026. His campaign for another four years in the Florida Senate is already underway.