Gabrielle Russon
Orange County voters will be deciding three races on Tuesday that could potentially reshape the County Commission.
The contests have billions of dollars at stake for developers and the tourism industry.
In District 1, incumbent Nicole Wilson has a rematch against challenger Austin Arthur after neither cleared a majority in the August Primary. Wilson topped Arthur by a mere two votes, but Arthur has outraised her with a war chest of nearly $350,000. Wilson has raised about $70,000.
The County Commission races are nonpartisan, but politics are still seeping into the race.
Wilson, a Democrat, has angered special interests groups by supporting the environment over developers and wanting to free up tourism development tax dollars to spend on community needs instead of just tourism.
That has cleared the way for Arthur, a Republican, to fundraise with the backing of Republican Mayors and even some surprising allies, like Democratic Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, according to Orlando Weekly.
Arthur might not look like the perfect candidate on paper. He was arrested in his early 20s, although he wasn’t charged with any crimes, and has faced financial and legal problems running his business in recent years. But Arthur has said his problems make him relatable and that he learned valuable lessons from his mistakes.
In District 3, two Democrats are battling each other after neither cleared enough support to win in the Primary. Commissioner Mayra Uribe is up against Sen. Linda Stewart, who is term-limited in Tallahassee.
Uribe made headlines this Summer after public records revealed she gave hundreds of tickets to her husband’s small nonprofit since 2019. It’s unclear how he benefited from the access to some of Orlando’s biggest entertainment events, since his nonprofit hasn’t filed any recent 990 tax forms.
County Commissioners are allowed to transfer two tickets to the county Skybox at the Kia Center and Camping World Stadium to a nonprofit of their choice. But Uribe’s ticket transfers to her husband’s organization raised red flags, one ethics expert told Florida Politics. The County closed the loophole in late October.
Meanwhile, Stewart faced her own scandal involving county government.
Stewart went behind Orange County leaders’ backs to write a bill with a county lobbyist that would have limited the county’s ability to cut funding to Visit Orlando. The bill never gained traction, but it still angered local officials. After the Orlando Sentinel broke the story, the county fired the lobbyist in February.
And for the final seat up for grabs, District 5 is an open seat to replace term-limited Commissioner Emily Bonilla.
Former Winter Park Mayor Steve Leary, a Republican, outraised Democrat Kelly Semrad with his $260,000 in campaign donations compared to her funds of just under $100,000.
Leary has the backing of the tourism industry and developers, while Semrad is a staunch environmentalist and University of Central Florida professor.
