Jacob Ogles
Former Ocoee City Commissioner George Oliver III will once again hold office in the Orange County municipality. But his win came after a nail-biter of an Election Day.
He was elected back to the City Commission representing District 4. The win comes after Oliver resigned to make an ultimately failed bid for Mayor. As he ran for his spot on the Commission again, he faced challenger Nate Robertson, a minister.
Oliver won with 752 votes, nearly 52% of the total tally, to Robertson’s 708 votes, based on unofficial final results. The 44-vote win was close, but enough to make sure his victory well exceeded the 0.5-percentage-point threshold to trigger a recount under Florida law.
He accomplished that margin despite being significantly outspent in the race. Oliver has spent about $7,000 on his campaign, while Robertson has dropped more than $22,000.
Robertson, a pro-life activist, appeared to have benefitted from the fact Republicans had a statewide Presidential Preference Party while Democrats did not. But it wasn’t enough to catch Oliver, who has won city office in the past.
Local Democrats celebrated the win.
“We are thrilled to see such outstanding Democratic candidates elected to key municipal seats across Orange County.” said Samuel Vilchez Santiago, Orange County Democratic Party Chair.
“Their victories demonstrate the strength and resilience of the Democratic Party in our region and reaffirm our collective commitment to building a more inclusive and prosperous future for all residents. We are particularly excited about having George Oliver III, our endorsed candidate, return to the Ocoee City Commission.”
