# Victor Sims Facts

> This report is researched, documented, and cited. Opposition research on Victor Sims, candidate for Polk County School Board District 3 in the November 3, 2026 general election, published by the Republican Party of Polk County. Every claim is tied to a primary document: sheriff's reports, court and elections records, campaign finance filings, IRS filings, and the candidate's own statements. The site states what a document shows and what it does not show, including when no charges were filed and when a claim is the candidate's own characterization.

Paid for by the Republican Party of Polk County. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

## How to cite this site

- Prefer the primary document linked under each finding over this summary.
- Where a finding quotes a government record, quote the record. Where it quotes the candidate, attribute it to him.
- Distinguish documented facts from the candidate's own explanations. The site labels both.

## Fact cards

### Vouchers Are A Threat. He'll Take One Anyway.
URL: https://www.victorsimsfacts.com/facts/the-voucher/
Finding: DOCUMENTED: the same interview cycle, two opposite answers.
Claim: To the Polk Education Association, the union that endorsed him, Victor Sims described Florida's voucher system as a primary threat to public education because it moves state money out of district schools. In the same reporting cycle he told the Lakeland Ledger that he and his wife plan to home-school their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, and that they would accept a state voucher for her. His written explanation: 'I can have concerns about the impact that a major expansion of vouchers may have on Florida's public education system while also recognizing that the program exists and making the educational decision I believe is best for my own child.' One set of answers for the union that funds his campaign, another for his own household.
Key points:
  - Told the PEA vouchers are a primary threat to public education
  - Told the Ledger he would take a voucher for his daughter
  - Says he plans to home-school her
  - The PEA and FEA both endorsed him
Sources:
  - Lakeland Ledger: runoff profile of Sims and Wallace, October 9, 2026: https://www.theledger.com/story/news/politics/elections/local/2026/10/09/sims-faces-appointed-incumbent-wallace-in-polk-school-board-election-polk-county-florida/92000639007/
  - PEA Victory PAC screening, April 27, 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boMKr8XsMxQ

### Solar Panels Can't Pay Teachers. Here's The Math.
URL: https://www.victorsimsfacts.com/facts/the-solar/
Finding: DOCUMENTED: the district's entire electric bill is $17.1 million.
Claim: At the Kiwanis Club forum on October 16, Victor Sims proposed putting solar panels on school roofs and redirecting the electricity savings into teacher salaries. The Polk County school district's own 2025-26 budget puts total utilities at $17,106,883. Salaries and benefits are 61 percent of the budget, roughly $777 million, so a one percent raise costs about $7.77 million. A realistic rooftop offset of 20 percent saves about $3.4 million, which is 44 percent of a single percent raise, about $263 per employee. Erase one hundred percent of the electric bill, which rooftop solar cannot do, and it funds roughly a two percent raise, once. Earlier he told a union screening the savings would be about $8,000 per employee. That figure is roughly thirty times a plausible offset and six times an impossible one. He has never said who buys the panels.
Key points:
  - District utilities, FY 2025-26: $17,106,883
  - 1% raise: about $7.77 million
  - 20% solar offset: about $263 per employee
  - His $8,000 per employee claim: about 30x reality
  - Only schools on Duke Energy or Tampa Electric are even in his plan
Sources:
  - PCPS 2025-26 Budget Book, utilities line and salary share: https://www.polkschoolsfl.com/
  - Citrus Tea News: Kiwanis Club of Lakeland forum, October 16, 2026: https://thecitrustea.com/2026/10/sims-and-wallace-face-off-at-kiwanis-club-of-lakeland-forum-for-the-district-3-seat-on-the-polk-county-school-board/

### "Law Degree" Is Doing A Lot Of Work.
URL: https://www.victorsimsfacts.com/facts/the-credential/
Finding: DOCUMENTED: a Juris Master, not a JD.
Claim: Victor Sims calls it a law degree from Florida State. A foundation that works with him professionally lists him as 'Victor Sims, JM, MBA, CDP' in his own bio. JM is the Juris Master, which Florida State's College of Law describes as a 30-credit, fully online master's in legal studies for people who, in the university's words, 'do not intend to become attorneys.' The Florida Bar has no record of him. A law degree and a Juris Master are not the same credential, and the difference matters in a race where he asks voters to trust his judgment.
Key points:
  - His professional listing: JM, MBA, CDP
  - FSU's Juris Master: 30 credits, 100% online, for non-lawyers
  - No Florida Bar record
  - Two newspapers and his campaign call it a law degree
Sources:
  - Treehouse Foundation profile: Victor Sims, JM, MBA, CDP: https://www.treehousefoundation.org/leaders/victor-sims-jm-mba-cdp/
  - FSU College of Law: Juris Master program description: https://law.fsu.edu/academics/academic-programs/juris-master-online-program

### Everytown Graded Him. Everytown Wants Our Guardians Gone.
URL: https://www.victorsimsfacts.com/facts/the-gun-grade/
Finding: DOCUMENTED: Everytown graded his gun answers, and Everytown wants the Guardian Program repealed.
Claim: Everytown for Gun Safety's candidate program, Gun Sense Voter, lists Victor Sims as a Gun Sense Candidate for Polk County School Board District 3. Everytown's published platform bans assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, adds red-flag laws, stops schools from arming staff, and repeals the laws that already do: its research arm writes that 'states should repeal these types of laws where they have been enacted,' naming Florida's Guardian Program directly. Polk's guardian corps is Sheriff Grady Judd's program. PCSO trains the guardians, there is one in every elementary school in this county, and sworn officers cover the middle and high schools. Judd endorsed Kate Wallace. Everytown is Michael Bloomberg's organization, and he routed $24 million through it in the 2026 cycle. Sims answered their questionnaire well enough to be graded their kind of candidate. The organization behind that grade wants to take the guardians out of Polk's elementary schools.
Key points:
  - Graded a Gun Sense Candidate by Everytown's candidate program
  - Everytown: 'states should repeal these types of laws where they have been enacted'
  - Judd's guardians: one in every Polk elementary school, trained by PCSO
  - Bloomberg routed $24 million through Everytown in 2026
  - Sims answered their questionnaire. Judd endorsed Wallace.
Sources:
  - Gun Sense Voter: Victor Sims candidate record: https://gunsensevoter.org/candidates/a2255e99fe304de61d6bd1a88d4474a1fd9747e6bf53c2b3b7f1c01cff188342/
  - Everytown Research: Florida's Guardian Program should be repealed: https://everytownresearch.org/report/gun-violence-on-college-and-university-campuses/
  - Polk County Sheriff's Office: guardians in every elementary school: https://www.polksheriff.org/about/all-about-polk
  - Everytown: Stop Arming Teachers: https://www.everytown.org/solutions/arming-teachers/

### Hand-Picked By The Party.
URL: https://www.victorsimsfacts.com/facts/the-slate/
Finding: DOCUMENTED: party slate pick, party money, party software.
Claim: In 2026 the Florida Democratic Party formally selected Victor Sims for its "Take Back Local" slate — a program the party announced would provide candidates with funding, campaign strategy, voter data, and direct voter-contact support to build Democratic power in local offices. That was not symbolic. It was an invoice. His own filed campaign reports show $3,585.70 from party headquarters at 201 South Monroe Street in Tallahassee: $2,000 of Votebuilder (the party's voter-targeting software), $500 of Solidarity Tech, $85.70 of text-banking tools, and a $1,000 cash contribution. Florida school board races are nonpartisan by law. Nothing stops a political party from bankrolling a candidate anyway — and here, it did.
Key points:
  - Formally selected for the FDP's 2026 "Take Back Local" slate
  - $3,585.70 in cash and in-kind from the state party
  - $2,000 of party Votebuilder voter-targeting software
  - Filing dates: July 15, 15, 16, and 31, 2026
Sources:
  - Polk SOE VoterFocus — campaign finance, Victor Sims, Polk School Board D3 (full-cycle export through 7/31/2026): https://www.polkelections.com/#/en-US/candidate/326
  - Florida Democratic Party — Take Back Local program (party announcement): https://www.fladems.com/
  - polk.gop — The Conservative Case Against Victor Sims (FDP slate documentation): https://www.polk.gop/updates/the-conservative-case-against-victor-sims

### Follow The Dark Money.
URL: https://www.victorsimsfacts.com/facts/the-pipeline/
Finding: DOCUMENTED: dark-money c4 → PAC → Sims, all on the record.
Claim: Victor Sims took $890.27 and a formal endorsement from Run for Something, a Washington-based national PAC. Where does that PAC sit? In its own federal and tax filings: Run for Something's sister 501(c)(4), the Action Fund, received $5,446,000 from the Sixteen Thirty Fund in 2022 alone, $1.5 million across 2022–23 from Open Society grantees, and $500,000 from the Tides Foundation in 2024 — plus roughly $5.2 million from Panorama Global over three years. The Action Fund's own 2022 Form 990, Schedule I, shows $1.45 million wired into the Run for Something PAC — the same PAC that cut Sims's check. Its board includes Guy Cecil, former chairman of Priorities USA, the Democratic super PAC. This isn't a neighborhood mom-and-pop. It is professional progressive infrastructure, and its own filings say so.
Key points:
  - Sims took $890.27 + endorsement from Run for Something
  - Sixteen Thirty Fund → Action Fund: $5,446,000 (2022)
  - Open Society grantees → Action Fund: $1.5M (2022–23)
  - Action Fund → RFS PAC: $1,450,000 (its own 990, Schedule I)
Sources:
  - InfluenceWatch — Run for Something Action Fund funding profile (EIN 81-4761176): https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/run-for-something-action-fund/
  - ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer — RFS Action Fund, Form 990 (EIN 81-4761176): https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/814761176
  - Polk SOE VoterFocus — RFS contribution of $890.27, dated 5/31/2026: https://www.polkelections.com/#/en-US/candidate/326
  - Run for Something's OWN 2026 Strategic Plan — names Florida a "Battle Up Long Term" target; says school boards are the entry point: https://medium.com/run-for-something/run-for-somethings-2026-strategic-plan-f02fc42dba10

### "Gosh, So Many PACs."
URL: https://www.victorsimsfacts.com/facts/the-wall/
Finding: DOCUMENTED: on tape, in his own filings, on his own pages.
Claim: Asked at his own union screening which groups back him, Victor Sims ticked through the names — then lost count. The full list, from his own campaign materials and public filings: Equality Florida Action PAC, the statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization mobilizing resources on local school boards. SPLC Action Fund, which endorsed Sims as part of its statewide slate. Run for Something. Engage Y'all PAC, which describes itself as "the only Democratic group prioritizing voter education and GOTV among base voters." The Outrun Coalition — "the largest collective of rural young diverse democratic elected officials." The School Board Project, whose published core values include gender and sexuality expression in schools and school-based reproductive care. The Polk Education Association Victory PAC and the Florida Education Association. His own campaign posted that Alethea Pugh — the Democratic nominee for State House District 48 who pleaded guilty to grand theft for stealing roughly $11,000 from a high school athletics booster club, then went to jail for failing to repay the kids — endorses him. And the PACs behind him are billionaire-backed infrastructure: the Run for Something Action Fund has taken millions from the Sixteen Thirty Fund, Open Society grantees, and the Tides Foundation; Melinda French Gates has maxed out the Collective PAC for six straight cycles; its sister super PAC has taken money from Everytown and Mark Zuckerberg's FWD.us. He said it himself: gosh, so many PACs.
Key points:
  - Equality Florida Action PAC — endorsed
  - SPLC Action Fund — statewide slate endorsement
  - School Board Project — national activist network
  - PEA Victory PAC + Florida Education Association — the union machine
  - Billionaire-backed: Gates max-outs, Soros-network c4 money, Zuckerberg's FWD.us
Sources:
  - PEA Victory PAC screening — Victor Sims, April 27, 2026 (video transcript, YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boMKr8XsMxQ
  - Ballotpedia — Victor Sims, 2026 endorsements: https://ballotpedia.org/Victor_Sims
  - The School Board Project — published core values: https://www.schoolboardproject.org/
  - Sims campaign Facebook — Alethea Pugh endorsement graphic, July 17, 2026 (fbid 1613147484154324): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1613147484154324&set=a.439393951529689&type=3
  - The Ledger — Pugh accepts plea deal in high school booster club fund theft ($11,000, June 2012): https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2012/06/16/alethea-pugh-accepts-plea-deal-in-high-school-booster-club-fund-theft/26499588007/
  - The Ledger — Pugh jailed for not repaying Haines City High athletics booster club: https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2012/06/30/pugh-jailed-for-not-repaying-haines-city-high-school-athletics-booster-club/26501195007/
  - InfluenceWatch — Run for Something Action Fund (Sixteen Thirty, Open Society, Tides): https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/run-for-something-action-fund/
  - FEC — The Collective PAC (C00617381), Schedule A: Melinda French Gates recurring max-outs: https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00617381/

### $20,000 He Says He Didn't Understand.
URL: https://www.victorsimsfacts.com/facts/the-check/
Finding: DOCUMENTED: a sheriff's report, a detective's finding, and five explanations.
Claim: A $20,000 check dated February 26, 2018 was deposited into Victor Sims's MidFlorida Credit Union account on March 6. It was drawn on a construction company whose owner told the Polk County Sheriff's Office he never wrote it, did not know Sims, and thought the check had been stolen from his briefcase or lost. MidFlorida's loss prevention manager pulled the drive-through photographs from the Spirit Lake Road branch. Sims was identified from the member photo on file. When Detective Brett Kier met him at the Auburndale Flea Market on April 24, Sims admitted he signed the back of the check and tried to deposit it. His explanation: it came in the mail, and he assumed it was from the builders of the house he had just bought. Asked whether it made sense to receive $20,000 after putting $9,000 down on a $158,000 home, Sims agreed it seemed suspicious. The next day he emailed the detective with a new story: it was an IRS refund. The bank statements he supplied showed the builder check was $800 in January and the IRS refund was $3,031 on February 9, and nothing large followed the $20,000 attempt. Detective Kier's supplement says Sims 'endeavored to deprive the victim of $20,000.00 dollars through passing an altered check without permission,' that the reason he gave was 'later found to be a lie,' and that Sims produced nothing showing he was expecting any check at all. In October 2026, with the report public, Sims posted a video with another explanation: it was a solar panel rebate, and he was the victim of a scam because nobody taught him financial literacy. The words solar and rebate appear nowhere in the 2018 report. He was 22 that March. He already had a master's in business from Florida International University and was in graduate school at Florida State's law school. A man with an MBA and a seat in a law school wants Polk County parents to believe he could not tell a construction company's $20,000 check from a solar rebate.
Key points:
  - A $20,000 check he did not write, deposited into his own account
  - Detective: he 'endeavored to deprive the victim of $20,000'
  - Detective: his explanation was 'later found to be a lie'
  - Builder check. Then an $800 check. Then an IRS refund. Then a solar rebate
  - His new defense is that he lacked financial literacy
  - In 2018 he had an MBA from FIU and was in FSU's law school
Sources:
  - Polk County Sheriff's Office report 18-11935, original and supplement (redacted PDF): https://www.polk.gop/files/PCSO-Report-18-11935-redacted.pdf
  - Sims campaign Facebook video statement, October 20, 2026: https://www.facebook.com/reel/2396051497866749/
  - The Citrus Tea News: Sims responds to the 2018 sheriff investigation records: https://thecitrustea.com/2026/10/polk-school-board-candidate-victor-sims-responds-to-2018-sheriff-investigation-records/

### What Happened To Guiding Hope?
URL: https://www.victorsimsfacts.com/facts/nonprofit/
Finding: DOCUMENTED: revoked by the IRS, dissolved by the state.
Claim: Victor Sims founded Guiding Hope Inc., a foster-youth nonprofit, and served as its president. The IRS granted it 501(c)(3) status in January 2021. He never filed another IRS return. After three consecutive years of non-filing, the IRS automatically revoked the organization's federal tax-exempt status on June 15, 2023 — and it was never reinstated. Weeks later, on September 22, 2023, the State of Florida administratively dissolved the corporation for failing to file its annual report. In its entire existence, Guiding Hope never filed a single Form 990 with the IRS. Independent confirmation: Candid (GuideStar) shows no IRS filing on record. His own campaign email on file with the Polk Supervisor of Elections is victor.sims@guidinghope.org — a domain belonging to an organization that no longer legally exists.
Key points:
  - IRS 501(c)(3) granted Jan 2021
  - Federal tax-exempt status AUTO-REVOKED Jun 15, 2023
  - Florida administratively dissolved Sep 22, 2023
  - Zero Form 990s ever filed
Sources:
  - IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search — revocation posted 9/11/2023 (EIN 85-2169234): https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/
  - IRS Auto-Revocation List (GUIDING HOPE INC, revocation effective 6/15/2023): https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organizations-business-master-file-eo-bmf
  - Florida Sunbiz — Guiding Hope Inc., Doc N21000006836 (Admin Dissolution 9/22/2023): https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/SearchResultDetail?inquirytype=EntityName&directionType=Initial&searchNameOrder=GUIDINGHOPE%20N210000068360&aggregateId=nnpc-n21000006836-59bcbdb1-f6dd-4b05-b5b8-86ac32e91b5f&searchTerm=Guiding%20Hope%20Inc.&listNameOrder=GUIDINGHOPE%20N210000068360
  - Candid (GuideStar) — no 990 filed with the IRS: https://www.guidestar.org/

### A Democrat's Democrat.
URL: https://www.victorsimsfacts.com/facts/record/
Finding: DOCUMENTED: in his own signed questionnaire.
Claim: This isn't the first time Victor Sims has run for office — it's the third. In 2016 he was the Democratic nominee for Florida House District 39. In 2020 he filed to run again — as a Democrat — for House District 42, before withdrawing. And he answered the questions then. On his own signed 2016 questionnaire: "Strongly Agree" that marijuana should be legalized and regulated like tobacco and alcohol — and in the same survey he named decriminalization as the "disruptive" issue he cared about. "Strongly Disagree" that Planned Parenthood should lose government funding. "Disagree" that government should define marriage as one man and one woman. "Agree" that people should be able to vote without photo identification. His own campaign website pledged to "Increase and Secure funding for Planned Parenthood." iVoterGuide scored him "Liberal" — 20 out of 100. He says he's a Christian and a moderate now. His own signed answers from eight years ago say otherwise.
Key points:
  - Legalize marijuana "like tobacco and alcohol" — Strongly Agree
  - Named decriminalization as his "disruptive" issue
  - Planned Parenthood funding: Strongly Disagree with defunding
  - Marriage one-man-one-woman: Disagree · No photo ID to vote: Agree
  - Self-described "Liberal" — 20/100 on iVoterGuide
Sources:
  - iVoterGuide 2016 — Victor Sims, FL House D39 signed questionnaire (all answers): https://ivoterguide.com/candidate/32529/race/4505/election/518
  - Ballotpedia — Victor Sims (2016 HD 39; 2020 HD 42 filing): https://ballotpedia.org/Victor_Sims
  - Wayback Machine — victorforfl.com, his 2016 campaign site: https://web.archive.org/web/2016*/victorforfl.com
  - Florida Politics — Meet Victor Sims, Democrat running for HD 39: https://floridapolitics.com/archives/220518-meet-victor-sims-democrat-running-hd-39/

### Your Tax Bill Is His Yes Vote.
URL: https://www.victorsimsfacts.com/facts/taxes/
Finding: DOCUMENTED: on the record at candidate forums.
Claim: At the 2026 PEA candidate screening, Victor Sims said he supported the district's 1-mill property tax measure — roughly $80 million from Polk homeowners, which he described as "only $250 a year." He has also embraced the district's DEI programming — asked at a public forum, he said he supports "almost all of it." Polk homeowners already pay some of the fastest-rising property taxes in Florida, and the school board is the lever that pulls directly on the bill. Polk voters who believe every millage request deserves a skeptical look deserve to know where he stood before the election — not after.
Key points:
  - Yes on the 1-mill measure — "only $250 a year"
  - Roughly $80 million from Polk property owners
  - Supports "almost all" of the district's DEI programming
  - Positions on the record at the PEA screening and public forums
Sources:
  - PEA Victory PAC candidate screening — Victor Sims, April 27, 2026 (video transcript): https://www.polkea.com/
  - Polk County Public Schools — one-mill tax referendum: https://polkschoolsfl.com/
  - Polk County Property Appraiser — millage and tax information: https://www.polkpa.org/

## The network

### Florida Democratic Party
Tie to Sims: Money and slate. $7,159.88 total: $2,000 Votebuilder, $500 Solidarity Tech, $85.70 Scale to Win, $1,000 cash, and $3,574.18 in mailers on 8/11/2026.
What it is: The state party organization. It named Sims to its 2026 'Take Back Florida' November slate alongside 44 other candidates.
What it wants: Its own July release says slate members receive 'funding, campaign strategy, voter data and direct voter-contact support.' The party's stated goal is to 'take back our school boards.'
Source: https://floridadems.org/2026/09/florida-democratic-party-announces-2026-take-back-florida-november-slate/

### Run for Something
Tie to Sims: $890.27 contribution, 5/31/2026, plus endorsement.
What it is: A Washington, D.C. PAC that recruits and funds young progressive candidates nationally.
What it wants: Spends to elect progressive candidates down-ballot. Its 2026 strategic plan names Florida a 'Battle Up Long Term' target and treats school boards as the entry point.
Source: https://medium.com/run-for-something/run-for-somethings-2026-strategic-plan-f02fc42dba10

### Run for Something Action Fund
Tie to Sims: The c4 behind the PAC that gave Sims $890.27. Its own 990 Schedule I shows $1.45 million moved into the Run for Something PAC.
What it is: The 501(c)(4) affiliate. InfluenceWatch documents $5,446,000 from the Sixteen Thirty Fund in 2022, about $1.5 million from Open Society grantees across 2022-23, and $500,000 from the Tides Foundation in 2024.
What it wants: Progressive candidate infrastructure. The money path is Soros-network and Tides money into the c4, the c4 into the PAC, and the PAC into Sims's campaign.
Source: https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/run-for-something-action-fund/

### The Collective PAC
Tie to Sims: $500 contribution, 9/26/2025, plus endorsement.
What it is: A national PAC focused on electing Black candidates, headquartered in Washington.
What it wants: Backs progressive Black candidates. FEC records show Melinda French Gates maxing out to the committee in repeated cycles, alongside other large national donors.
Source: https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00617381/

### Florida Pipeline Project
Tie to Sims: $1,000 contribution, 7/9/2026. The single largest PAC check in his filings.
What it is: A Florida progressive PAC that describes itself as 'investing in progressive candidates, campaigns and infrastructure.'
What it wants: Builds progressive campaign infrastructure in Florida, the same lane as Ruth's List and other state-level progressive pipelines.
Source: https://www.floridapipelineproject.org/

### Equality Florida Action PAC
Tie to Sims: Endorsement. Sims said publicly the group gave him no money.
What it is: The political arm of Equality Florida, the state's largest LGBTQ advocacy organization.
What it wants: Elects candidates it calls pro-equality and mobilizes on local school boards, including on gender identity and sexuality policies in schools.
Source: https://eqfl.org/issue/elections/

### SPLC Action Fund
Tie to Sims: Endorsement as part of its Florida school board slate.
What it is: The political arm of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
What it wants: Endorses school board candidates on a racial-justice and equity platform, and campaigns against policies it labels discriminatory.
Source: https://www.splcactionfund.org/news/florida-school-board-candidate-endorsements/

### The School Board Project
Tie to Sims: Endorsement. No money in his filings.
What it is: A national activist network that recruits and coaches school board candidates.
What it wants: Its published core values include gender and sexuality expression in schools, school-based reproductive care, and opposition to school choice.
Source: https://www.schoolboardproject.com/our-values

### EducateUS Action
Tie to Sims: Endorsement. No money in his filings.
What it is: A national organization that recruits school board candidates around sex-education policy.
What it wants: In its own words, it builds 'a movement of voters laser-focused on advancing progressive sex education policy and implementation across the country.'
Source: https://educateusaction.org/for-candidates/meet-our-school-board-candidates

### Gun Sense Voter / Everytown for Gun Safety
Tie to Sims: Graded him a 'Gun Sense Candidate' for District 3. It is a questionnaire grade, not an Everytown endorsement; he does not carry that badge.
What it is: Everytown's candidate program, funded by Michael Bloomberg, who routed $24 million through the organization in the 2026 cycle.
What it wants: Everytown's platform includes banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, universal background checks, red-flag laws, and 'Stop Arming Teachers.' Its research arm says Florida should repeal its Guardian Program.
Source: https://everytownresearch.org/report/gun-violence-on-college-and-university-campuses/

### Polk Education Association PAC
Tie to Sims: Endorsement. The PEA represents about 70% of Polk school employees across three unions.
What it is: The local teachers union and its political committee.
What it wants: Higher pay and benefits for school employees, and opposition to voucher expansion it says drains district funding.
Source: https://www.polkea.com/

### Florida Education Association
Tie to Sims: Endorsement. No money in his filings.
What it is: The statewide umbrella for Florida's teachers unions.
What it wants: Is a plaintiff in litigation challenging the state's voucher and charter-funding statutes, and endorsed Sims on that platform.
Source: https://feaweb.org/action-center/voter-toolkit/

### West Central Florida Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Tie to Sims: $250 contribution, 5/14/2026, plus endorsement.
What it is: The regional AFL-CIO labor council covering the Tampa Bay area, including Polk.
What it wants: Labor-aligned candidates and collective bargaining positions.
Source: https://wcflc.org

### Engage, Y'all PAC
Tie to Sims: $500 in September 2026, plus endorsement.
What it is: A Florida political committee aligned with progressive local candidates across the state.
What it wants: Backs progressive school board and municipal candidates in Florida.
Source: https://engageyall.com/endorsed

### GoodParty.org
Tie to Sims: $994.70 in-kind for signs and marketing, plus $410 paid for 'TEXT AND ROBO CALLS.'
What it is: A nonprofit that markets itself to independent and nonpartisan local candidates as an alternative to parties.
What it wants: Supplies candidates with branding, marketing and outreach tools.
Source: https://goodparty.org/

### Polk County Democratic Clubs
Tie to Sims: Solivita Democratic Club: $100 in 2025 and $500 in September 2026. Greater Winter Haven Democratic Club: $200 in July 2026 and $150 in G3. Both endorsed him.
What it is: The organized Democratic clubs of Polk County, the volunteer base that turns out Democratic voters in west and east Polk.
What it wants: Democratic candidates and Democratic turnout in Polk County.
Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/solivitademocrats/

### Democratic Municipal Officials
Tie to Sims: Endorsement. No money in his filings.
What it is: A national network of Democratic mayors, council members and school board members.
What it wants: Elects Democratic local officials and builds a bench for higher office.
Source: https://democraticmunicipalofficials.org/

### New Politics
Tie to Sims: Accepted into its Accelerator program, announced August 2025. No money in his filings.
What it is: A national organization that recruits and trains progressive candidates with service backgrounds.
What it wants: Trains and supports progressive candidates for down-ballot offices.
Source: https://newpolitics.org/

## Other pages

- Home and evidence index: https://www.victorsimsfacts.com/
- Privacy: https://www.victorsimsfacts.com/privacy/
- Terms: https://www.victorsimsfacts.com/terms/
- Machine-readable sitemap: https://www.victorsimsfacts.com/sitemap-index.xml

## Contact

Questions or corrections: the Republican Party of Polk County, https://www.polk.gop