Kris Cruzada elected to second term and residents reject leaf blower ban
The incumbent fended off a challenge from a candidate who was endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce and far outraised him
March 11, 2025
By Beth Kassab
Commissioner Kris Cruzada won a second term on Tuesday night with 63% of the vote, defeating first-time candidate Justin Vermuth, who took 37%.
Cruzada, 51, was outspent by Vermuth, 43, by more than 4 to 1 in the race. Vermuth, who was endorsed by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce and raised more than $86,000 compared to Cruzada’s $28,000, said he wanted to cut taxes and the city’s spending.
Cruzada, an attorney who was first elected to Seat 3 in March 2022, defended his record on the commission and warned that revenue and spending cuts could also mean a loss of quality in services such as parks, roads, utilities and more.
Neither Cruzada nor Vermuth, who is also an attorney and the lobbyist for the association that represents timeshares, immediately responded to requests for comment about the results.
Cruzada’s victory represents a win for a coalition of residents who consider themselves skeptical of new development that could alter the charm and character of the city known for its chain of lakes and the Spanish-Mediterranean architecture of Rollins College.
His supporters largely support the current version of the Orange Avenue Overlay development rules, which limit building height and density.
Cruzada’s donors included $2,000 bundled from Full Sail University Co-Chairman and CEO Edward Haddock and one of his companies; $2,000 from former Mayor Phil Anderson and Jennifer Anderson; $500 from former Commissioner Carolyn Cooper and $250 from David Odahowski, president and CEO of the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation.
Vermuth’s donors included $10,000 bundled by Golden Corral franchisee Eric Holm and his companies, $10,000 bundled by the Holler family’s companies, which own car dealerships and property impacted by the Orange Avenue Overlay; $2,000 from the tourism industry, $1,000 from Jacqueline Siegel, known as the “Queen of Versailles” and wife of timeshare magnate David Siegel and $500 from former Mayor Steve Leary’s political committee.
The chamber’s political action committee spent more than $30,000 for several mailers and other efforts on his behalf. Last year the chamber used a similar strategy to help elect Craig Russell, a football coach and teacher at Winter Park High, who won by 34 votes.
Meanwhile, residents rejected a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers that the commission put into place in early 2022, but never enforced.
Voters said no to the controversial ban, which drew the ire of landscaping companies and state Sen. Jason Brodeur, with 55% of the vote.
The vote means a repeal of the ordinance that was set to take effect this summer.
A total of 4,638 ballots were cast in the Winter Park election, putting turnout at nearly 21%, the highest of the five cities in Orange County that held elections on Tuesday. Winter Park has 22,533 registered voters, including 7,858 Democrats, 8,449 Republicans, 5,590 without a party affiliation and 636 registered with other parties.
The turnout was lower than last year’s in Winter Park, which topped 30% and was boosted by Florida’s Republican presidential preference primary on the same ballot. This year surpassed turnout of 19% in 2022, when Cruzada was first elected.
WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmail.com
Good job, Winter Park residents!
Congrats to Kris!
Job well done Kris!
Very dissappinted that landscapers and residents who refuse to maintain their own yard run this city. The daily drone of leaf blowers and dog grooming generators have destroyed the tranquility of this once peaceful neighborhood.
I absolutely agree with your comment. I’ve lived in WP for 60 years and where I live now for 49. I maintain a large heavily wooded property myself, with electric machines partly out of respect for my neighbors
That is great news! It is good to know sanity prevailed.
So thanks to Jason Brodeur sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong and the large landscaping companies whining about how much it would cost them, I’ll have to continue to hear and smell leaf blowers 24/7. Thanks guys.
But very happy Kris won over the other guy, who I’m sure would have changed the dynamic of the commission and possibly overturned the Orange Avenue Overlay thanks to his developer backers. I’d love for any one of those guys to try to make a turn from Orange onto 17-92 during rush hour and right after a train comes by, and they want to overdevelop even more of that corridor. I’m sure they’ll be back, spending more money, the next time a commissioner spot comes available. Those people never go away.
Money can’t buy happiness and it can’t buy elections. Nice try.
I’m happy the voices of residents (vs. business interests) presided to elect Cruzada. I’m not happy (though not in the least bit surprised), the ban on leaf blowers did not pass. Most people here in WP spend their days indoors and have companies do their yard work for them. I suspect most really don’t care if their neighbors have babies napping or if they’re trying to rest/recover after cancer treatment and have to deal with the noise and pollution every single day. A few leaves dropped by Mother Nature on their lawn is so much more important. Sigh…
So happy for Kruzada! And I totally agree with you about the blowers, Grace!
Congratulations to Kris Cruzada. He will continue to be a reliable vote for the people who want more parks like 7 Oaks, money spent on turn lanes and Blue Bamboo.
I’m sure when the truth comes out about the Historic Preservation Board it will reflect negatively on the Commission, but who cares now that this election is over.
And good to see the Voice balancing who gives what to who. I’ll take that as a win.
And if you wanted Vermuth, cheer up. First, Warren Lindsey has been more pro-Chamber than the Chamber. He will be a good commissioner. Second, the leaf blower ban is over. That was Todd Weaver’s baby and he lost, and he’s done next week. That is a win. Third, learn a lesson. The no people don’t play around. If you want change, start now. Declare now. Sullivan most likely won’t run again so find a good candidate now.
Thank you for confirming why the Chamber targeted Cruzada and left Lindsey alone. The donor lists also tell the Lindsey tale clearly. Lindsey should be closely watched by those who feared Chamber candidate Vermuth.
Congratulations Kris !
Jim and I are delighted with the election results!
Where were all of those people for a clean environment who didn’t vote for enforcing the ban against gas powered leaf blowers in favor of electric powered leaf blowers? Oh, I guess when it affects your wallet, that’s another story.
I’m thrilled to find that some things still can’t be bought, like rank and file Winter Park voters and WP city commission seats. Kudos to Kris Cruzada for running as himself. Congrats, as well, to his family and his “never say die” campaign team. The future is bright.
A light in the tunnel…. Made my day to see this win for Winter Park.
C’mon neighbors! Gas powered leaf blowers are a-ok? It is a nightmare listening to them, all day every day. Can we have some decibel restrictions, or amount of time per block? 7 separate blocks of blowers today, four of which I could hear in my home with windows and doors closed.
Anyone up for visiting Brodeur’s neighborhood with some power tools? I just can’t believe 55% of our neighbors think this noise pollution is ok. Why do the landscaping companies have more rights than I do as a homeowner?
Agreed!
The residents have spoken!!!
Even with the dozens of political texts, thousands of full page mailers, The Big Money Backers, the Chamber Machine, Commissioner Russell glad handing, The Holler Family’s payroll, and The Queen of Versailles, the Winter Park Residents wouldn’t allow a paid politician to run our city.
Residents came out to reelect Cruzada.
IT’S A GREAT WIN FOR WINTER PARK!
Your vote counts!
Yeah Kris! Yeah Winter Park! “It’s not enough to speak, but to speak true.” Shakespeare
Sorry about people who can tolerate noise. “The Noise of the world is a torment.” Wm. Blake
The impact of noise, it’s more than we know,
Affects our health, and our minds, it can throw,
From stress and anxiety, to hearing loss,
The price we pay, for progress, at a cost Pushp Sirohi
I’d like to think that in elections going forward common sense will continue to trump money.
While I predicted outcome of the commissioner election within a 2% margin of error (65%), I got the leaf blower ban wrong. I thought Vermuth and gas leaf blowers and the Chamber of Commerce were tightly connected. But I was wrong. If as Mr. Elliott states, Lindsey is a Chamber and developer desirable, then those that elected Cruzada almost lost the majority on the commission. Are we seeing a Chamber/Developers expansion into our city politics? How close are we from losing that Winter Park charm? Should the Chamber stay out of political business?
How ’bout “we” start by putting our names on comments?