Maxwell: There's a big mayoral election this year, and it's not for Orlando
You've probably heard that Central Florida has a big mayoral race this year. However, you might be surprised to learn which one it is.
I'm not talking about the race for mayor of Orlando. That election won't take place until fall of 2027.
In just three months, however, voters will cast ballots for Orange County mayor - an arguably far more powerful office.
For starters, the county mayor represents five times more people than the city mayor does. Orange County is home to about 1.5 million people, a population larger than 11 U.S. states.
The county mayor also controls way more money, with an annual budget of $8 billion that dwarfs the city's $1.8 billion budget.
The county mayor helps control everything from the jail to the convention center - not to mention the taxes you pay on your home and business.
Then there are toll roads. We already have more miles of them than most any other place in America. Do you want more or fewer of them? Do you have thoughts on where they should run? Or whether the price should increase? Well, the county mayor not only sits on the 10-member Central Florida Expressway Authority, he or she is the only one who gets to also appoint another member to the board.
And of course the county mayor helps set the region’s agenda and priorities. For instance, the next mayor will decide whether this community ever finally makes a serious push to use hotel taxes on things this community and its residents truly need.
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The list of things the county mayor helps control and influence goes on and on. The airport. SunRail. The library system. Parks and environmental preserves.
In other words, this position is a big, darn deal.
It’s true that the Orlando mayor’s race is also a big deal. Especially since this will be the first time anyone other than Buddy Dyer has been in the office since "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was still on TV.
But the primary election for county mayor is just 13 weeks away. So if you're not already paying attention to who's running and what they want to do if they get in office, you should probably start doing so.
So far, six people have filed to run for the office.
Three are women who've previously won elections: Former U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, county commissioner Mayra Uribe and Clerk of Court Tiffany Moore-Russell. All three are Democrats.
The mayor's race is nonpartisan, but the candidates know their voting audience. And this audience is dark blue. Not only do Democrats outnumber Republicans by 40% in Orange County, there are actually more NPA voters in Orange than there are GOP ones. That means the Republican Party ranks third, behind the no-party people.
There aren't many places in Florida where Democrats are so firmly in control - which is why Florida's top Republicans are so obsessed with beating on Orange County every chance they get.
That's also why a lot of people want a county mayor who's willing to fight for this community's values - and not roll over in the face of threats or bullying.
Three other candidates have also filed to run so far: Brandy Griffin, Randy Fust Jr. and Chris Messina. Messina, has run before. As a Republican, he finished in a distant second place, fetching 21.5% of the vote when he tried to unsuccessfully oust Jerry Demings in 2022.
I'm not here today to render any verdicts on which candidate might be best this year. Honestly, we don't even know for sure who's running. The official qualifying for the race isn't until next month.
I want to hear what all the candidates have to say. Perhaps more importantly, I want to study their records to see what they've actually done. I think talk is cheap.
I also plan on watching candidate forums to see how the candidates respond to serious questions from serious people. I don't give much consideration to candidates who duck forums and avoid answering questions. I'm baffled by voters who do.
I want to know who's serious about improving this region's economy and lifting wages and who's bankrolled by tourism interests.
I also plan on asking all the candidates some questions myself after the field is set. And on that front, I'd welcome your help.
What would you like to ask the people who want to be Orange County's next mayor? What policies and specifics would you like addressed?
If you have some suggestions, feel free to email them to me at the address below.
In the meantime, I hope you'll join me in paying attention. Because, while the back-and-forth histrionics of national politics fill endless hours on cable news shows, you can make a solid case that locally elected officials have a greater impact on your everyday life.
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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 2:32 PM.