The Madison County District 5 School Board race has been anything but an easy run. With incumbent Devin Thompson not seeking re-election, the seat is open in a nonpartisan race featuring Donnell Davis, Michael Maurice, and Jonathan Mazzella.
Despite the importance of the election, the race has been difficult to cover due to the limited amount of publicly available information on the candidates, making it challenging for voters to learn about those seeking the office.
Beyond the information available through the Madison County Supervisor of Elections, little campaign information could be found. Multiple attempts were made to contact each candidate by phone and email, including follow-up messages, to complete a candidate questionnaire and ensure each had an equal opportunity to have their perspective represented in this story.
While Davis briefly confirmed receipt of my questionnaire by phone, he was not available to speak further and did not provide responses before this story’s deadline for publication. Davis was among parents in the county who spoke out earlier this year after a district teacher used a racial slur in the classroom.
The remaining candidates did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
As of now, all three candidates are listed as "Active-Qualified" on the Madison County Supervisor of Elections website.
None maintain an easily accessible campaign website, and little information is available regarding their backgrounds or policy positions.
According to campaign finance reports filed with the Madison County Supervisor of Elections:
Davis reported:
- No campaign contributions.
- His only reported expenditure was a $3.60 petition verification fee paid to the Supervisor of Elections on May 14, 2026
Maurice reported:
- $300 in contributions
- about $250 in expenditures including;
- $3.90 to the Supervisor of Elections for petition verification on May 11, 2026
- $53.75 to T Enterprises for sign stands
- $191.34 to Build A Sign LLC for campaign signs on June 25, 2026
- $12.00 in bank fees to Capital City Bank on June 30, 2026
Mazzella reported:
- $800 in self-funded contributions, consisting of a $300 personal contribution on May 4, 2026 and;
- another $500 contribution made on July 1, 2026
- Reports show $731.43 in expenditures, all paid to Jim Bob Printing for campaign signage
None of the candidates reported receiving any in-kind contributions.
Davis previously sought the Madison County School Board District 5 seat in 2022. He also ran for Madison County Supervisor of Elections in 2024.
Maurice previously ran for the Madison County Board of County Commissioners District 5 seat in 2024. In a recent political advertisement in the Madison County Carrier and Enterprise Recorder, Maurice laid out his background, prior work and his desire to be elected to the school board.
“I firmly believe all branches of government need strong fiscal oversight so you know your tax dollars are being put to good, proper use. If elected, I will ensure school funds are used effectively. Any inefficient spending must be reviewed and reallocated to maximize productivity for both our students and you, the taxpayer,” he said in the article.
No previous campaigns by Mazzella were found.
The Madison County Carrier and Enterprise Recorder is hosting a candidate forum featuring the school board candidates on July 30th. More information can be found on the newspaper’s website.
This year’s Florida primary election day is set for Aug. 18.
Wesley Salomon is a student journalist representing Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication in the Florida Elections Reporting Partnership. You can reach them at wesley1.salomon@famu.edu.
This story was produced in partnership with nonpartisan news organizations and universities across the state working to provide information about the 2026 elections. Learn more about the Florida Elections Reporting Partnership at floridaelections.org.
