Biography
Cindy Banyai is the Democratic candidate for the Florida House of Representatives, District 78, in the November 3, 2026 general election, where she faces Republican Susan Frantz; there is no incumbent in the race.[1][2] Banyai holds a Ph.D. and works as an evaluator, and was the Democratic nominee for Florida's 19th Congressional District in 2020 and 2022.[2]
Cindy Banyai was born in Bay City, Michigan, and earned a bachelor's degree from Michigan State University in 2002, a master's degree from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in 2007 and a Ph.D. from the same university in 2010, according to Ballotpedia.[2] Her career experience includes working as an evaluator and in community development and organization development.[2]
Banyai won the 2020 Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 19 and lost the general election to Byron Donalds, 38.7 percent to 61.3 percent.[2] She was the Democratic nominee again in 2022 and lost to incumbent Donalds, 32.0 percent to 68.0 percent.[2] In a 2022 Ballotpedia survey, she described herself as a mom and small business owner and listed water, health and community as her campaign messages.[3] Ballotpedia lists the Florida Education Association, the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida and the Florida AFL-CIO among her 2026 endorsements.[2]
- 1.Florida House of Representatives elections, 2026 · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Cindy Banyai - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 3.Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey: Cindy Banyai (2022) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Florida House District 78
Cindy Banyai is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Florida House District 78 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.