3 seats on Orlando City Council attract slew of candidates as election season approaches

Yahoo

5 days ago

With election season beginning to ramp up, 11 so far have declared their candidacies for three seats on the Orlando City Council that represent residents from Lake Nona to downtown Orlando up into College Park and Rosemont.
More than half are in District 3, where Robert Stuart is retiring after representing it since 2006. So far, six candidates have filed to succeed him serving the northwest portion of the city.
While in fast-growing Lake Nona, incumbent Jim Gray, the nonpartisan board's lone Republican, is trying to hold on to his seat and faces familiar challengers in former state Rep. Tom Keen, D-Orlando, and Sunshine Grund, also a Democrat.
And District 5 could have more twists and turns ahead as interim commissioner Shan Rose is slated to take on Regina Hill, who was suspended last year following a felony indictment on charges that have yet to be tried in court.
The three contests could evolve further, as candidates don't have to qualify for the ballot until noon Sept. 11. Election Day is Nov. 4.
In District 1, spanning Lee Vista and Lake Nona, as well as Orlando International Airport, three military veterans have tossed their hats in the ring so far.
Gray, an Air Force veteran and commercial real estate executive, has represented the area since 2012. For years he's been critical of the city's management of downtown — arguing the mix of businesses leans too heavily in favor of nightlife — with not enough dining, retail and family entertainment options.
So far, he's the best-funded candidate in the race with $54,000 in his most-recent campaign finance report.
Keen served one year in the Statehouse, winning a special election last year to flip a red district in a victory Florida Democrats hoped would propel the party from its statewide doldrums. Ultimately, it did not, and Keen lost a November rematch for a full term representing the district.
A Navy veteran, Keen said he wants the city to better address traffic in the booming district and plan for growth. He's raised $29,000 so far.
Grund, who served in the Army National Guard, is a real estate broker. She said she's building her platform by talking to voters who've emphasized public safety and traffic among their concerns.
She doesn't accept campaign contributions and believes in keeping money out of politics.
In District 3, covering neighborhoods like College Park, Baldwin Park and Rosemont, a slew of candidates have entered the fray. So far Jason Albu, Samuel Chambers, Roger Chapin, Chris Durant, Kimberly Kiss and Mira Tanna have declared their candidacies.
Albu owns a Winter Park-based construction company. He said he believes a focus on economic development will prove impactful in improving transportation, housing, parks and public safety.
Chambers is a Valencia College professor who was elected to the county's Soil and Water Conservation Board. His top priority is to end urban sprawl and support denser developments in urban areas.
Chapin, who owns a public relations firm, is an Orlando Utilities Commission board member. He said his campaign is focused on affordability — ranging from rental costs to other housing opportunities — as well as expanding transit options.
Durant works in real estate and also wants to improve affordability, public safety and advocate for protected bike lanes.
Kiss is a lawyer whose website states she's a skilled problem-solver who will take on challenges such as building more affordable housing as well as roads where pedestrians, bikers and drivers can safely coexist.
Tanna is the city's grants manager and wants to improve the Lynx bus system and operate SunRail on weekends. She supports more affordable housing through decreasing parking requirements and minimum lot sizes.
In District 5, voters may get to choose between political rivals who have represented them before.
Rose won a special election last summer to represent the district on an interim basis after Hill's suspension. Now she may take on Hill for a full four-year term in the district spanning downtown Orlando and neighborhoods west of I-4.
She advocated for expanding youth mentorship programs, supported downtown nightlife businesses as city officials weigh further regulation of the industry and backed a plan to purchase a pair of shelter buses for the Christian Service Center.
Hill, who represented the district for a decade and remains popular there, wants to expand job training programs she started while in office and grow programs offering services for youths and seniors.
Hill's candidacy remains up in the air as she faces seven felony charges related to fraud and elder abuse. A status hearing in her trial is scheduled for Wednesday, which could determine if a trial is possible before the election as she hopes. She's pleaded not guilty to all counts and maintains her innocence.
If charges are eventually dropped, or Hill wins at trial ahead of Election Day, she could return to serve out the remainder of the term. If convicted of felonies she'd be ineligible to hold office.
If the trial is still pending she'll be allowed to campaign and appear on the ballot. If she wins she could presumably return to office — suspensions don't apply to future terms. However, Gov. Ron DeSantis could suspend her again until the trial is over.
Solve the daily Crossword