The first two candidates have filed to run for what likely will be an open seat in Congress next year. It's district 19, covering most of Collier and Lee counties.
Republican Byron Donalds has announced a run for governor, so he'll have to give up his congressional seat.
It's about 510 days until the primary to choose party nominees to run for the seat.
So are you ready for some politics?
"We have a lot of politics going on now," Jack Klosterman of Estero said. "I don't know that there is room for any more!"
Some are making room. Republican Jim Oberweis has filed to run. He moved here from Illinois, after serving in the state legislature there. He said he lost a run for Congress in 2020, after the state of Illinois suddenly found 20,000 uncounted ballots, mostly for his opponent.
That was it, he decided. He was getting out of Illinois. He moved full time to Lee County.
"I'm running because I need to help President Trump reduce our national debt and secure our border," Oberweis said.
He said he owned a financial management company during his business career. He said he's donated $2 million to his own campaign, while also reaching out to Republicans to contribute.
Oberweis said he is a big supporter of Everglades restoration and term limits for Congress. He suggested eight years for the U.S. House of Representatives, and 12 for the U.S. Senate.
"I could just play golf or pickleball," he said. "But I don't want that. I want to serve my community, and with my financial background, I believe I am the best candidate to do so. I want to implement important programs, that can keep our country going in the right direction."
Democrat Howard Sapp has filed to run. He's a Fort Myers native and nephew of the late Veronica Shoemaker, who was the first African American elected to office in Lee County.
"I try to take the politics out of it. I look at people as people," Sapp said.
He was an air traffic controller during his professional career. He has run before for the Florida House of Representatives, losing two races
He said he'll fight for clean water, hiring more teachers and helping the middle class.
"Right now people are hurting," Sapp said. "People are struggling. We can come together as a people, and we can make headway in helping the lives of people."
Republican Spencer Roach said he's seriously considering a run. He is a military veteran who served in the Florida Legislature for six years.
"People I talk to here in the district are looking for a trusted conservative with a proven record," he said. "And I think of the field, I have that. Right now I have to determine whether I have the fire in the belly to make the run."
Roach explained that he believes the Republican primary in August of 2026 will have a packed field, possibly a dozen GOP candidates. He predicts that many millions of dollars will be raised for the showdown within the party. "It will be a war of attrition among lots of candidates," Roach said.
Politico — the "inside politics" website — said three former members of Congress from other states recently moved to this area, and they may run. Madison Cawthorn, a controversial figure from North Carolina, is one of them, according to Politico.
Roach had a piece of advice for anyone moving here just to run for office.
"Historically, carpet-baggers do not do well here," he said, using the post-Civil War term for Northerners who went south, seeking political or financial gain.
As for the timing of all this, Brenda Milakis of Fort Myers Beach said: Bring it on.
"I don't think it's ever too early to learn about the people who are going to run," she said. "The more we know, the better."
And Jack Klosterman had a request for any and all candidates.
"Tell me what you're going to do for me," he said. "Don't just attack the other person or other candidates."
Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman said he's not likely to run for Congress. He said he would prefer to run for another term as commissioner in '26. If he wins four more years, that would be his last time in that office under Lee County term limits.
Lee County Property Appraiser Matt Caldwell said he's leaning against a run, but has not ruled it out completely. Caldwell said it will take a huge amount of work and money to win the primary, and he added that he is not that impressed by what the U.S. House of Representatives has accomplished in recent years.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. Mike Walcher is a reporter at WGCU, and also teaches journalism at FGCU.