By Carl Fish Daily Ridge
WINTER HAVEN, Florida – Winter Haven City Commissioner Chad Davis is publicly backing Jerry Carter over incumbent State Representative Jon Albert in the Republican primary for Florida House District 48, while delivering a sharp criticism of Albert’s first term in Tallahassee.
“Tallahassee has a representative. Winter Haven doesn’t,” Davis wrote in his endorsement of Carter.
Davis, who was elected to the Winter Haven City Commission in 2025, accused Albert of moving away from the local-government principles he campaigned on.
“For two years, Winter Haven has had no voice in the Florida House of Representatives,” Davis wrote. “Representative Jon Albert campaigned as someone who understood local government, yet once in Tallahassee, he sided with efforts that weakened home rule and chipped away at local control.”
Davis called it “a remarkable betrayal coming from a former mayor who should understand that decisions affecting Winter Haven are best made in Winter Haven – not by bureaucrats and special interests hundreds of miles away.”
Albert, a Republican from Frostproof, was elected to the Florida House in 2024. Before going to Tallahassee, Albert served in local government in Frostproof, including serving as mayor. He is also a Marine Corps veteran and business owner.
House District 48 is entirely within Polk County and represents a portion of the county that includes Winter Haven and extends into eastern and southeastern Polk County. The district brings together communities with different needs, ranging from the larger Winter Haven area to smaller municipalities and rural portions of Polk County.
One vote from Albert’s first term provides additional context to Davis’ criticism regarding home rule and local control.
Albert voted in favor of Senate Bill 180 during the 2025 legislative session, a wide-ranging emergency preparedness and hurricane recovery bill that included restrictions on certain actions by local governments following hurricanes.
Among the provisions were restrictions preventing affected cities and counties from adopting certain construction or redevelopment moratoriums and from making some comprehensive plans, land-development regulations and development procedures more restrictive or burdensome following hurricanes.
The provisions were intended in part to prevent local governments from placing additional obstacles in the way of property owners attempting to rebuild following a hurricane. However, the legislation became controversial among local governments because of concerns that the restrictions went beyond hurricane recovery and interfered with local authority over growth and development.
Albert’s vote on the legislation is clear in the official record.
On April 29, 2025, Albert voted yes on SB 180 when the Florida House approved the legislation 115-1. The House later voted 106-0 on May 2 to concur with the Senate’s amended version. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law on June 26, 2025.
The vote does not necessarily mean Albert opposes home rule generally. SB 180 contained numerous provisions dealing with emergency preparedness and hurricane recovery beyond the controversial land-use restrictions, and the legislation received overwhelming bipartisan support in both chambers.
Still, Albert’s vote provides relevant context to Davis’ specific criticism that the representative has supported legislation that weakened local control.
Davis also took aim at what he says Winter Haven has received during Albert’s time representing the district.
“The results have been hard to miss,” Davis wrote. “Winter Haven taxpayers have little to show for Albert’s time in office. In his two years, he failed to secure a single penny in the state budget for our city. He may represent District 48 on paper, but his actions suggest he is more interested in representing Tallahassee.”
Daily Ridge has not independently verified Davis’ claim that Albert failed to secure any state budget funding specifically for Winter Haven. State funding can reach a community through countywide, regional or state agency projects even when a municipality is not specifically listed as the recipient.
Davis is throwing his support behind Carter, who is making his second run for House District 48.
Carter is a longtime Polk County resident whose campaign emphasizes his multigenerational roots in the county, conservative positions and private-sector background. Carter previously sought the House District 48 seat in 2024, finishing second in a crowded six-candidate Republican primary won by Albert.
Unlike Albert, Carter has not served in the Florida Legislature and therefore does not have a state legislative voting record for voters to examine. His campaign has instead focused on his Polk County roots and an argument that District 48 needs representation focused more heavily on local priorities.
There is also some political history behind Davis’ endorsement.
Before being elected to the Winter Haven City Commission, Davis was himself a candidate for House District 48 in 2024 and competed in the same Republican primary against both Albert and Carter.
Davis is now choosing one of his former political rivals over the other.
The 2026 Republican primary is essentially a rematch between the top two finishers from the 2024 contest, but this time Albert enters the race as the incumbent. Florida Division of Elections records confirm Albert has qualified to seek reelection.
Davis made clear which of his former opponents he believes should represent the district.
“We deserve a representative who will fight for us, defend local control, and put our communities first,” Davis wrote. “Jerry Carter is that candidate.”
Albert and Carter will face each other in the August 18 Republican primary for Florida House District 48.
There will not be a Democratic primary for the seat. Democrat Alethea Pugh has qualified for the District 48 race and advanced without a primary after the other Democratic candidates who had entered the race withdrew or were disqualified. State election records currently list Pugh as a qualified Democratic candidate for the 2026 general election.
The winner of the Albert-Carter Republican primary will face Pugh in the November general election.
Daily Ridge reached out to Albert and provided him with Davis’ statement, giving him an opportunity to respond to the criticism regarding Winter Haven, local control and his legislative record.
Albert responded Tuesday morning but said he would not be addressing the issues at this time.
“I do have responses to some of what you are asking, but I have been advised to keep working and sit this one out,” Albert told Daily Ridge.
