Craig Russell to Seek Re-Election. Marty Sullivan to Retire, Leaving his Seat Open
The March 2026 election is gearing up to decide two seats on the Winter Park City Commission
Sept. 10, 2025
By Beth Kassab
Commissioner Craig Russell, a Winter Park High School teacher and coach, said he will seek re-election next year while another commissioner is retiring after two terms.
Official qualifying for the March 2026 election is still about three months away, but jockeying for the two seats is well underway.
Russell, who grew up in Winter Park, won Seat 2 in a tight runoff in April of 2024 to finish Sheila DeCiccio’s term when she became mayor.
He made history in Winter Park as the first Black commissioner to be elected in more than a century and, now at age 44, is still the youngest person on the commission today.
Russell has blazed a trail in another way, too. He was heavily backed by business leaders and the political action committee affiliated with the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, but has steadily defined himself as a policy maker who is carving his own agenda with unpredictable votes when it comes to budget and policy issues.
Winter PAC spent about $30,000 to advocate for him in 2024 and he raised about $100,000 through his own campaign account.
“I don’t just work for one group,” he said. “I work for the residents and the businesses. I work for the entire community.”
Part of what he does, he says, is reach out to “the doubters and talk to them.”
For example, he said he heard “a lot of feedback” after he was one of two votes this summer, along with Commissioner Marty Sullivan, against keeping the city’s property tax millage rate the same. The two men voiced support for a property tax increase.
“I’ve listened to the people and I felt as though investing in the future would benefit the city best,” he said. “I got a lot of feedback and it was mixed, they were kind of surprised and wanted to know, ‘what’s your mindset?’ And I told them and they respected and understood that.”
In another recent discussion, Russell and DeCiccio were two voices who expressed support for a larger increase to electric rates this year to raise capital for infrastructure projects such as undergrounding and equipment replacement. But they were outweighed by the three other commissioners who wanted a smaller increase.
Russell has also spent considerable time advocating for youth on the commission. He helped re-establish a Youth Advisory Council that includes students from Winter Park High, Trinity Preparatory and others.
The group is beginning to meet in the City Commission Chambers and, eventually, will provide reports to the commission on issues that are important to them such as sustainability.
It’s a chance, he said, for students to learn how local government works and also make an impact on decisions.
“They understand the decisions that are made now affect them,” Russell said. “It’s super important to them to understand how that process works.”
Russell is also outspoken on safety and, potentially setting standards, for micro-mobility because he sees electric scooters and bikes, and a fair share of accidents, as students come and go from school. Some of those can move as fast as a car but with kids not old enough to drive in control.
“I’ve seen the broken arms … the road rash,” he said. “The trends are now trickling down to the e-scooters are at the elementary and middle schools and at high school we have the new drivers and the electric bikes — they aren’t bicycles and they aren’t motorcycles they are in between.”
Last year he worked with the police department on a series of educational safety videos and more are in the works this year.
As for his campaign, he said he hopes to continue to broaden his support from 2024.
“I hope to have more support from everybody,” Russell said. “I hope to have support from previous supporters and I hope to have new supporters.”
A spokeswoman for Winter PAC, which supported him last time around, declined to comment on who its leaders will support for either seat in 2026.
Sullivan, a geotechnical engineer who sits in Seat 1, said two terms on the commission have allowed him to accomplish a great deal and won’t seek re-election.
“Six years is enough I believe for doing what I can do for the city,” he said.
He pointed to the expansion of the Community Redevelopment District, which will allow the city to set guideposts for new development near Interstate 4, as one accomplishment.
He is also pleased that there is a new use in the old library building as The Blue Bamboo Center for the Arts has brought a burgeoning music scene there.
He said he was pleasantly surprised to find several commonalities in policy mindset with Russell such as the vote to allow Blue Bamboo and even the idea of a potential tax increase.
“My concern was never to be re-elected,” Sullivan said. “My concern is to do what’s right and if the citizens disagree with me I would have been fine with losing. And I think [Russell] takes that same approach because he has not adhered to the way of thinking that his supporters thought he would, I don’t believe.”
Only one candidate has officially filed paperwork to open a campaign account so far, according to the city clerk’s office.
Elizabeth Ingram, 38, grew up in Winter Park and is a long time resident and community leader. The trained opera singer currently serves on the Public Art Advisory Board is and seeking Sullivan’s seat.
WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmail.com
Absolutely zero need for property tax increases in Winter Park. NONE!
Florida is moving towards reducing property taxes; not increasing them.
The COACH is “on a sinking ship.” The Chamber of Commerce once again pushes to wrong candidate for Winter Park City Commission.
Jason Johnson please run for this open seat.
Agreed. Johnson should run.
Agree. Jason Johnson should run.
I saw his article in the recent issue of the Winter Park Newspaper with him championing the under-grounding efforts. I wrote him on 8/17 and have yet to receive a response … Here is the letter in case he reads this.
Mr. Russel Id be happy to come to a city council meeting and chat as well. The least the city could do is work with our electrical provider to bury our power lines in order to remedy the situation…..
Hello Mr. Russel,
My family and I purchased our home in 2023 and had no idea all our utilities would come from WPU but not power. This has impacted us in so many ways. We have had rat infested due to the lines being in a thicket of bamboo but OUC will not bury the lines or get them out of the trees and why should they? We are citizens of Winter Park but our government is not handing this issue.
We can’t even get a truck up the driveway due to the power lines.
When there are storms we have been told we are not a priority due to being in Winter Park.
Our home has been destroyed by rats we spend thousands to fix damage and keep them at bay. But yet ouc refuses to help and Winter Park as well.
Why was my home annexed over 39 years ago into winter park yet power has never been transferred? Seems dishonest and disjointed to land grab without taking care of the people who live on that land!
Instead of new decorations for the town, how about equality of resources for all homeowners? How about uniting all of us? How about fixing our rat infestation by burying the power lines to our home?
If I can’t get help from the city I will got to the media and ask for help to ascertain where the tax dollars went that homes still under ouc and duke pay for but receive no benefit.
I would welcome an in person meeting at our home to show you what is going on and to speak more freely on this matter. I would love to attend a city meeting as well to further expand on this issue.
Warmest thank you for your time.
Laurie Anne Campbell
Laurie Anne Campbell
Sent from my iPhone
The City of Winter Park cannot touch another utility’s lines just as OUC cannot touch Winter Park electric lines. This is a dispute with OUC.
Hi Laurie, You likely already know this but the utilities all have set service territories. And one can not just take over the work on a property within the service territory of another utility. However, these territories are subject to change over time. Multiple commissioners have brought up whether Winter Park Electric can begin servicing homes within city boundaries that are right now serviced by OUC and Duke. The short answer to this question is that it’s possible (maybe!), but it’s going to be a long process. The OUC contract is up in a couple years and the city would like to try to negotiate folding some of those homes into its electric utility. Based on the public discussions, there appeared to be some optimism that this could happen, though definitely no certainty. As for Duke that appears to be an even longer shot. Jamie England, who now runs Winter Park’s utility but used to work for Duke, has said Duke is generally unwilling to consider giving up territory.
I would also add that if it’s a problem with bamboo, just trim or remove it.
Thankyou commisioner Sullivan for your hardwork and dillegent service to the city of Winter Park. I appreciate your respectful demeanor and concern for the residents of Winter Park .
I for one am pleased to see Craig Russell turn out to be an independent minded person that calls them as he see them even if it means I pay more taxes. We don’t need politician types on the city commission who are concerned about what the deep pockets think and will they be re-elected or not. I too am concerned about the proliferation of these electric bikes the kids in particular are using these days. Commissioner Russell just may get a new supporter this time around with me.
How refreshing to have a commissioner, and now candidate for reelection, take the responsibility of analyzing issues and coming up with a position based on what’s best for the common good. Special interests and agendas have “ruled” Winter Park for many years. Let’s re-elect Craig!!
I just went to event at which Elizabeth Ingram spoke. All I can say is that she would be a fantastic addition to the commission. Bright, articulate, passionate, and most important, very knowledgeable about WP affairs.
Increase in property taxes?! Are you serious? My property taxes increased almost $1000 this year! Ridiculous!!