The race to represent Orange County Commission District 5, which includes Winter Park, will be decided by a November runoff election that pits a former Winter Park city leader against a UCF professor.
A total of four candidates ran for the seat in the Tuesday, Aug. 20, Primary Election but neither scored a 50% plus one majority. The final vote count is as follows:
- Kelly Semrad: 12,057 – 41%
- Steve Leary: 9,318 – 31.7%
- Joy Goff-Marcil: 4,569 – 15.5%
- Joel Montilla: 3,476 – 11.8%
Semrad is an associate professor at the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management. She served as District 5 Neighborhood Advisory Council co-chair and as vice-chair of Save Orange County, Inc. Her campaign Facebook page lists priorities that include, “investing in urban redevelopment, infill, affordable housing and other smart growth techniques over urban sprawl.” She also supports using the tourism tax to improve infrastructure and to address the affordable housing crisis.
Leary was elected to Winter Park City Commission in 2011 and served as mayor between 2015-2021. Among his campaign priorities are the protection of rural boundaries, increasing access to affordable housing, and infrastructure and transportation improvements.
The General Election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5, with early voting scheduled between Monday, Oct. 21, and Sunday, Nov. 3. See the Election Calendar and the Results and Turnout page on the Orange County Supervisor of Elections website for more information.
Residents can recycle election signs through a partnership between the City of Winter Park Sustainability Division and the League of Women Voters of Orange County Natural Resources Committee. Campaign signs and stands can be dropped off between Wednesday, Aug. 21 at noon, through Sunday, Sept. 1 at noon, at one of the following locations:
- Cady Way Pool, 2529 Cady Way
- Mead Botanical Garden Community Garden, 1310 S. Denning Dr.
- Fire Station 64, 1439 Howell Branch Rd.
The signs will be collected by NuCycle Energy and recycled into the company’s line of clean energy fuel cubes. Winter Park has participated in the recycling partnership since the 2020 campaign season with the 2022 collection resulting in nearly six tons of recycled signage.
For additional recycling locations access cityofwinterpark.org/waste. For more information regarding Winter Park’s sustainability recycling effort, please email sustainability@cityofwinterpark.org or call 407-599-3479.