Steve Leary, with Buddy Dyer’s endorsement, heads to run-off from second place

by Beth Kassab | Aug 26, 2024 | Election, News, Uncategorized, Zoning and Development

Steve Leary, with Buddy Dyer's endorsement, heads to run-off from second place

The Orlando mayor and Democrat lent his political sway to the Republican former Winter Park mayor who is running in a heavily blue Orange County Commission district. But Kelly Semrad, a UCF professor and Democrat, emerged from the primary in first place

Aug. 26, 2024

By Beth Kassab

Steve Leary, the former Winter Park mayor and Republican who outraised his opponents in the District 5 Orange County Commission race by more than 3 to 1 and touted the endorsement of one of the region’s most powerful Democrats in Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, is now heading into the Nov. 5 run-off from a distant second place.

Leary finished the Aug. 20 primary with 32% of the vote, 2,800 votes and 9 percentage points behind Kelly Semrad (41%), a Democrat and UCF professor who centered her campaign on how to protect rural lands from development and calls to spend the lucrative Tourist Development Tax on services and quality-of-life projects for residents vs. expenses backed by the tourism industry.

The gulf between Leary’s fundraising haul — nearly $200,000 — and Semrad’s $60,000 is stark. And political action committees such as Dyer’s Orlando PAC and the Realtor’s spent even more on Leary’s behalf.

A campaign ad paid for by Orlando PAC shows Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s endorsements.

A mailer just before the primary from Dyer’s PAC showcased Leary amid a slate of Democrats endorsed by the popular Orlando mayor who was first elected more than 20 years ago. The card also named U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, Public defender candidate Melissa Vickers, Tax Collector Scott Randolph, Supervisor of Elections candidate Karen Castor Dentel and School Board candidate Stephanie Vanos.

A separate mass text message to voters from Dyer said the people on his list “lead with integrity and are committed to fighting for Orange County residents’ quality of life.”

Leary, who received campaign contributions from a number of development and tourism interests, was the only candidate on that line-up also touted by the local Republican Party and the only one who did not emerge in first place after last week’s election (except for Castor Dentel after the supervisor’s contest was pushed to November because of a court challenge).

Semrad won 35 of the 50 precincts in the district that runs from downtown Orlando through Winter Park and Maitland to Bithlo and Christmas at the eastern edges of the county’s border. One precinct showed an exact tie.

Of the 14 precincts won by Leary, which were centered in Maitland and Winter Park, he won seven by 10 or fewer votes.

The district has more than 145,000 voters with about 55,000 Democrats, 45,000 Republicans and 45,000 people who are registered without a party affiliation or major party.

Joy Goff-Marcil (who won 16% of the vote), also a Democrat, and Joel Antonio Montilla (who won 12%), also a Republican, were eliminated from the contest to fill the seat left open by Commissioner Emily Bonilla, who has reached term limits.

“We knocked on 17,134 doors,” Semrad, 47, said. “Our goal was the Top 2. We were surprised to finish so far out front as we were out funded on the books and we were way out funded in PAC [Political Action Committee] contributions.”

Samuel Vilchez Santiago, the chairman of Orange County Democratic Executive Committee, said his group sent out texts and mailers alerting voters that Leary is a Republican, not a Democrat. He said the messages were not in response to Dyer’s endorsement, but to educate voters.

“The election last Tuesday showed that money cannot buy people’s votes,” Santiago said, pointing also to the District 1 Commission race, where Nicole Wilson, a Democrat, was far outraised by Republican Austin Arthur. They are also heading into a runoff after primary results showed she led by just two votes.

Leary, 57, whose campaign said he was unavailable to be interviewed for this story, announced Dyer’s endorsement in a June news release.

“I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Steve Leary for over 10 years during his tenure as Winter Park Mayor and Commissioner,” Dyer said in the release. “He is bright, thoughtful, and an effective leader. His experience, vision, and collaborative approach will greatly benefit all residents of District 5. I proudly endorse and fully support him.”

The endorsement also comes at a critical time for Orlando’s growth plans.

On Monday, the Orlando Sentinel reported that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is attempting to annex into Orlando more than 52,000 acres of mostly untouched land in southeast Orange County, where development and environmental regulations are considered more restrictive on developers.

Earlier this year, Orlando annexed some 12,000 acres of unincorporated southeast Orange County designated for a new housing development known as Sunbridge and owned by Tavistock. The real estate and investment company is known for its billionaire founder Joe Lewis and is the same company that developed Lake Nona, owns Isleworth Golf and Country Club in Windermere and other high-profile investments across the globe.

Tavistock and companies affiliated with the church that operate its vast Deseret Ranch land have worked together to advocate for a controversial road through Split Oak Forest. The road would serve as a connector between the new developments and Osceola County.

The annexations have triggered a power struggle between Orlando and Orange County over the future of giant swaths of land and environmentalists have cried foul over what they see as the negative consequences of sprawl.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings’ commission this summer added two questions to the November ballot that, if approved by voters, would protect Orange’s rural boundary as well as give the county veto power over such annexations.

Dyer and other local mayors signed a letter to Demings opposing the annexation question, saying it violates “home rule” for cities. Winter Park Mayor Sheila DeCiccio did not sign the letter.

Dyer’s spokeswoman said she would need to speak to him directly about why he endorsed Leary and whether the decision is related to the annexation issue. She did not respond to a follow-up question.

Semrad is one of the most vocal advocates for strengthening the county’s control over annexations and the rural boundary, even initiating the ballot questions last year — though the Legislature intervened and only the County Commission had authority to put the questions on the ballot for approval.

Leary has stated he supports the question about the rural boundary.

But Semrad said the rural boundary question itself doesn’t have any teeth. The second question on the annexation veto power is what would give the county the power to ensure environmental and development regulations are followed.

“Annexing into the city has been a loophole to make quick cash, contribute to sprawl and pay less for environmental devastation,” she said.

Leary’s campaign website touts endorsements from Republicans such as former Congressman John Mica and former Florida House Speaker Dean Cannon as well as Edgewood Mayor and campaign consultant John Dowless. Other Democrats have also lent their support, such as Craig Russell, elected earlier this year as the first Black commissioner in Winter Park in more than 100 years, and Gary and Victoria Siplin, who served in the state Senate and Orange County Commission, respectively.

Semrad boasts endorsements from Frost, Randolph, Bonilla, state Rep. Anna Eskamani and incoming state Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith among others.

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