Gabrielle Russon
Former Winter Park Mayor Steve Leary is throwing his hat in the ring for the open District 5 seat on the Orange County Commission in November’s General Election.
Current District 5 Commissioner Emily Bonilla, who first won election in 2016, is term-limited. Leary, a Republican, previously filed in 2020 to run against Bonilla, a Democrat. But he withdrew before the election to focus on his family, business and his job as Mayor, the Orlando Sentinel reported at the time.
Leary is now one of four people running for District 5, which stretches from Maitland to Winter Park and the eastern rural communities of Bithlo and Christmas.
Leading the fundraising is lawyer Joel Montilla, who has raised nearly $38,000, according to the latest filing. University of Central Florida faculty member and environmental activist Kelly Semrad, who won Bonilla’s endorsement, is second in fundraising with nearly $24,000. Former Rep. Joy Goff-Marcil , also a lawyer, has raised just under $5,000 so far.
The proposed salary for county commissioners for 2024-2025 is $118,637.
Leary was previously elected to the Winter Park City Commission starting in 2011 and later served as the city’s Mayor from 2015 to 2021.
“District 5 and Orange County residents deserve elected officials who are committed to listening to and creating solutions to the broad range of issues facing our community. We need someone who understands the unique needs of our diverse region and has a proven track record of accomplishments that help improve residents’ quality of life. I can promise both,” Leary said in a press release Monday.
Leary, 57, owns the manufacturing company Flange Skillets International.
Looking at his time in Winter Park city government, Leary said he was proud of his work improving residents’ quality of life and getting state funding for infrastructure projects. Those projects included putting the Fairbanks Avenue electric transmission lines underground and realignment of the Lee Road/17-92 intersection.
If elected, Leary said his priorities are protecting the rural boundaries in east Orange County, economic development, water quality solutions, affordable housing, and improving infrastructure and transportation, while also keeping the downtown area safe and thriving.
District 1, 3 and 5 are up for election on the November ballot in Orange County.
