Jacob Ogles
Local grudge matches. Municipal audit demands. The down-ballot races in Orange County may not draw the attention of national cable outlets but have consequences nonetheless.
Here are the municipal races that could be settled on Tuesday evening.
The city has two City Commission offices up for vote this year, for Seats 3 and 4.
City Commissioner Nick Nesta faces a challenge from Eric Mock for Seat 4. The challenger has questioned the operations at City Hall and called for an audit. Nesta defeated Mock for the seat in 2022.
Meanwhile, two political newcomers are running for the open Seat 3 seat to succeed incumbent Kyle Becker. Real estate agent Nadia Anderson will face brewery owner Darryl Richardson. Both races should be decided on Tuesday night.
The incumbents for City Council in Seats 4 and 5 drew challengers this year.
City Council member Marlin Daniels will face Tarus Mack, a rematch after an election was decided, then overturned, over a single-vote margin of victory. The tossing of two votes by a court of law forced Mack to give up his seat to Daniels mid-term in 2021, but he now wants to return to City Hall.
Meanwhile, Council member Wanda Randolph faces challenger Crystal Short-Bertrand for the Seat 5 spot on the Council.
With Mayor Kathy Stark stepping down, the Mayor’s job is up for grabs, with Town Commissioner Salvador Ramos and Shane Taylor running for the job.
Of note, no one qualified for Ramos’ seat. The Commission will have to appoint a successor. Ramos founded Empire Finish Systems and was first elected to the Commission in 2015. Taylor has served on a number of city boards, including the selection committee for the Chief of Police, and he chairs the town Planning and Zoning Board.
Former City Commissioner George Oliver III is running to return to City Hall representing District 4, after resigning for a failed bid for Mayor. He faces challenger Nate Robertson, a minister.
Oliver has spent about $7,000 on his campaign, while Robertson has dropped more than $22,000.
Two seats ended up contested on the Winter Garden City Commission this year.
In District 2, incumbent City Commissioner Ron Mueller faces challenges from hospitality pro DJ Culberson Jr. and business owner Iliana Jones.
Mueller, a Navy veteran, is running on a record he says shows serious engagement and transparency. Culberson touts his no ties to developers, and Jones promises a commitment to public safety and small-town charm.
In District 3, political newcomers Chloe Johnson, a member of the Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board, and Karen McNeil, president of Fresh State Entrepreneurs, vie for an open seat on the Commission.
A mayoral contest and one City Commission seat will appear on the ballot in this municipality.
City Commissioner Sheila DeCiccio wants the job of Mayor. But she faces Michael Cameron, who has demanded greater financial accountability in city government. DeCiccio has served on the Commission since 2020; she now holds the title of Vice Mayor.
Meanwhile, candidates Jason Johnson, Stockton Reeves, and Craig Russell are running for DeCiccio’s Seat 2 spot on the Commission. Reeves ran as a Republican for the House in 2018 but lost to Democrat Anna Eskamani. Johnson, a lawyer, wants to preserve Winter Park’s charm. Russell is a coach at Winter Park High School and has the support of the local Chamber of Commerce.
