About 100 Villagers and residents of neighboring communities stood along Morse Boulevard in Lake Sumter Landing on Saturday in support of free and fair elections.
The rally honored the legacy of civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, who died six years ago this month. More than 600 “Good Trouble Lives On” protests and other events were held nationwide over the weekend.
“John Lewis told us that the fight for democracy never ends, that ‘good trouble lives on,’ only if we remember our history and speak truth to power. That’s why I showed up today,” said Jayne Bumpers, of the Village of De La Vista.
In March 1965, Lewis led 600 people in a peaceful march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in what became known as “Bloody Sunday.” Lewis, then the leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, was badly beaten by Alabama state troopers and nearly died. The march, which drew attention to the systemic denial of voting rights to Black Americans, was a pivotal moment leading to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Lewis said, “The vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have.”
LaRae Donnellan, of the Village of Dunedin, said the Trump administration and many state governments are working hard to dismantle the protections provided by the Voting Rights Act and to set up barriers for free and fair elections.
“Trump again is making false claims about our elections. Check the facts. There’s no evidence of malicious foreign attacks on the 2020 or 2024 elections. Dead people’s names may still be on voter lists, but dead people don’t vote. Trump votes by mail but says the rest of us who do are corrupt. He just can’t get over the fact that he lost the 2020 election fair and square,” Donnellan said.
Two candidates walked the rally line, greeting participants and answering their questions. State Rep. Angie Nixon of Jacksonville is running to become the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate. If elected in the primary, Nixon would run against Republican Sen. Ashley Moody. Nixon was arrested in May after a 5-hour sit-in in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office, protesting the state’s redistricting plan that creates more GOP-leaning districts.
“Floridians are being crushed by an affordability crisis. The cost of everything is rising: groceries, housing, healthcare, childcare. Enough is enough. This isn’t a partisan issue,” Nixon said.
Also greeting rally-goers was Pamala Kaye Bivins, a lifetime resident of Wildwood, who is the Democratic nominee for Florida House District 52, which includes the Sumter County parts of The Villages. Bivins was a Wildwood city commissioner for 25 years, including service as mayor pro tem.
For information about voting in Florida, contact the Florida Division of Elections or the Supervisor of Elections for the county in which you live.
Here are important dates regarding the Primary Election in August:
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Deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation: July 20, 2026
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Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: Aug. 6, 2026
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Early voting period (mandatory period): Aug. 8–15, 2026 (Contact Supervisor of Elections for optional days of early voting)
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Primary Election Day: Aug. 18, 2026
Here are important dates regarding the General Election in November:
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Deadline to register to vote: Oct. 5, 2026
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Deadline to request that ballot be mailed: Oct. 22, 2026
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Early voting period (mandatory period): Oct. 24–31, 2026 (Contact Supervisor of Elections for optional days of early voting)
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Election Day: Nov. 3, 2026