County Council Member, District 1
August 18, 2026 · Volusia County, Florida · County
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Low · 26 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 579,622 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(2,738,356 ÷ 579,622) ÷ ln(2,738,356 ÷ 7,687) = 26.43, comparing counties in FL (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Low representation + unknown decisiveness → Below average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
County Supervisor is responsible for:
- Serving on the county's governing board
- Passing the county budget and local rules
- Overseeing county services such as roads, health programs, and elections
- Deciding land use in areas outside city limits
Affected Areas: Environment and Public Health, Government Efficiency, Healthcare Affordability, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Social Programs and Welfare, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Don Dempsey
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Don Dempsey is the incumbent member of the Volusia County (Florida) Council for District 1, seeking re-election in the nonpartisan August 2026 election.
Melissa D. Thorne
Nonpartisan · declared
Melissa D. Thorne is a candidate for the District 1 seat on the Volusia County (Florida) Council in the nonpartisan August 2026 election. Melissa has not previously held Volusia County Council office.
Wendy Anderson
Nonpartisan · declared
Wendy Anderson is a candidate for the District 1 seat on the Volusia County (Florida) Council in the nonpartisan August 2026 election. She is a biologist and environmentalist and currently serves as an elected Supervisor of the Volusia County Soil and Water Conservation District.
Election sources
Source: volusiaelections.gov