Sheila DeCiccio is Winter Park's next mayor
Craig Russell and Jason Johnson head to run-off for Seat 2 on City Commission
March 19, 2024
By Beth Kassab
Sheila DeCiccio will be Winter Park’s next mayor — the first woman to serve in the role — after she won more than 70% of the vote Tuesday.
Her opponent, Michael Cameron, who barely raised any money and did not appear at a single public or private forum, took 29% of the vote.
DeCiccio, who was first elected as a commissioner in 2020, is known for pushing to shore up the city’s infrastructure in the wake of flooding after Hurricane Ian in 2022. She also played a key role in overturning the original Orange Avenue Overlay, which allowed for taller and denser development along Orange between Rollins College and U.S. 17-92.
She is the first woman to be elected to the post in the city of 30,000’s 142-year history. She won every precinct in Winter Park by a wide margin.
Two of the three Seat 2 candidates will take their heated contest into a run-off on April 16 after no candidate won more than 50 percent of the vote.
Craig Russell, a teacher and coach at Winter Park High School, won 42% of the vote and Jason Johnson, an attorney, took 34%.
Russell and Johnson have clearly staked out different positions on some issues.
Russell, who raised nearly $64,000 and was the only candidate endorsed by the Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, has said he is open to revisiting the original Orange Avenue Overlay as well as a series of charter amendments overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2022 that require a supermajority vote on the City Commission for certain zoning changes.
Russell did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the results.
Johnson, who raised $45,000, has said he supports the current OAO and doesn’t want to see Winter Park’s commercial corridors expanded or dramatically altered by new development.
“I fully expected this race to go into a run-off,” Johnson said Tuesday evening. “I’m happy to be one of the top two vote getters … There are certainly differences between myself and Mr. Russell and, as always, the voters of Winter Park will get the final say on who they want representing them in City Hall.”
Stockton Reeves, the third candidate in the race, won 24% of the vote. Reeves did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
WinterParkVoiceEditor@gmail.com
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By: Beth Kassab
No biography available at this time
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A sitting Vice Mayor is always expected to win against an unknown and very young challenger.
But the fact that Michael Cameron got nearly 1 vote for every 2 DeCiccio votes, without raising much campaign money and without attending any debates, and only being a candidate for 90 days, says that either
1) Cameron is a future political star in Winter Park, or
2) The residents are not united in their support for Sheila as mayor, or
3) Both 1) and 2)
I have to wonder what the underlying theme attracted the voters to the candidates. Was it big development vs. keep Winter Park how it is; or was it a high rate of Republican voters who voted forReeves and Cameron? Was there an age shift with younger voters supporting Russell as he represents Winter Park High School? And will we see a different dynamic operating in the run-off? So many questions but the Predictor is going to hang up his khaki pants and get back to their usual job. In the final analysis, I thank all the candidates for keeping it civil. And congratulations to our new mayor. And thank you Beth for keeping us informed.
Here it comes. The usual scare tactics.
Parking at the library? City issue and what have they done to address it? Nothing.
“Charm”? Park Avenue and Hannibal Square are great. You’re kidding yourself if you think the Asian Spas, medial offices and fast food restaurants that line our corridors are charming.
Jason Johnson ran a negative campaign and his supporters are even more nasty. Residents are tired of “charm” masking bad policy decisions.
And let’s stop with the nonsense about the Chamber. It’s a nationally recognized award winning organization. Plenty of residents are members and those residents vote. Craig Russell is a long time leader in Winter Park. Phil Anderson appointed him to the Park Board. It will be refreshing to have a commissioner who will represent everyone and not the same old “preserve and heritage” crowd that wants to go back to 1950.
The problem I have with the Chamber of Commerce (that does an amazing job for their members) endorsing a candidate is that they are also the Winter Park Welcome Center. These two roles are incompatible. And I would feel more welcome at the spas and fast food places you mentioned than the Welcome Center (btw, warm Lavender oil massage is great). I can only say from my experience, both candidates have run civil, smart, and model campaigns. Both candidates should make Winter Parkers proud. I think your last statement reflects the sentiment of our city residents-some would like to see more building and expansion of services while others want to keep it the same. This may be resolved through creative compromise. Take care. The Predictor
As someone who has lived in WiBree Park for the past 11 years and has seen every home sold in that time period torn down and giant homes built in their staid, I definitely prefer Jason Johnson’s stance on keeping the charm. We are losing all our charm and if developers get their way and build out all along Orange Avenue and Fairbanks and Denning, it will take twice as long to get out of WP than it does now (which clocks in at around 20 minutes unless a train comes through then all bets are off) not to mention parking issues. I currently have a hard time finding a space at the library these days. Enough with the over-development and driving traffic corridors into parking lots. And also, whenever a city’s Chamber of Commerce endorses a candidate you know they’re on the side of big business because they have “commerce” in their name.
Sorry for the typo. It should say Winter Park
I am so relieved that there is a run-off between Jason Johnson and Craig Russell. Their differences are major and apparent, that is, if the voter decides to look further than party lines and/or popular notions. What is at stake is a future City Commission that can operate democratically and avoid autocratic agendas. I hope for a City Commission that will operate in a considerate fashion, not one in which objection and special interests (ie Chamber of Commerce) bully (yea team!) their way in athletic loyalty. Jason Johnson will provide legislative quality as a commissioner; Craig Russell will soon cast off his “middle of the road” stance in favor of tactical stances representing commercial supports.
There are more registered Republican voters than Democrat voters in Winter Park. We’re also a city that prides itself on non-partisan elections. It’s even stated in our Charter.
One of the commissioner candidates was touted by the local and state Republican Party as “the official Republican candidate.” However, he only received 22% of the vote in a 3-way race — and didn’t even qualify for the run-off.
It appears that the many calls, texts, and emails that we received telling us to vote for Stockton Reeves because he was the only R candidate for commissioner didn’t resonate with WP voters.
I assume that the WP voters prefer non-partisan elections and don’t respond well to dictates from either party.
Winter Parkers are not known for their thirst for big buildings and dense development. Elections used to turn on this. Because the Coach supports the original OAO and is backed by the big developers and the Chamber PAC, his dominance at the polls would be impossible to understand if were not for one other factor. The Coach is a Winter Park High School Wildcat. The big development faction has at long last finally found their “in”- a Wildcat. Will people look any deeper? Look at the issues? Or will they just vote for the Wildcat the big landowners, big developers, their law firms, and the Chamber PAC are funding? It is actually the most brilliant strategy move we have ever seen. Thousands of Winter Parkers can say: I’m a Wildcat. My children are Wildcats, even my grandchildren are Wildcats. And like Wildcats stalking prey, the developers, major landowners and the Chamber PAC are salivating. They are so close to turning the first seat they’ve won in years. Will they succeed? Only time will tell. So far it’s working beyond their wildest dreams. (No pun intended.) Stay tuned.
Influence peddling is alive and well in Winter Park. Chamber money, developer money, real estate money, explosive- growth-at-the-expense-of-small-scale-charm money.
This is nothing new. Winter Park voters face these consequential choices every election cycle (which comes every year). Big developer money is always looking for the weakest link to make inroads to the promised glory days of a 3-2 “yes” vote for the next 6-7 story commercial venture in our own backyard—with the ensuing traffic and parking “bonus features”.
The job of a city commissioner is to dive into the bi-weekly 250 page agenda packet, actually read it, ask questions, research gaps in information, query staff as well as citizens, and come to the city commission meetings asking for answers.
Campaign financial filings paint an all too clear picture of future candidate preferences and intended direction. (Thank you WP Voice for sharing). More will be coming. Stay alert. It’s your city and our future.
Anonymous but concerned citizen,
Can you please provide a list of recent 6-7 story developments that have been proposed in WP? The 2 large office buildings, Bank of America on Park Ave. and old Florida Gas building, were built in 1970. Maybe you’ve been here that long and they’re still fresh in your mind. I can’t think of any proposed buildings that meet your description.
I’m an optimist. If you lived 7 stories above street level you wouldn’t hear a gas leaf blower.
Perhaps an exaggeration of 6-7 stories but certainly 5 were in the original OAO. That’s too tall especially when they consecutively run down both sides of a street.
Sounds like all the comments were written by the same person- how would we know since The Voice continues to print anonymous comments- something I learned in grade school to never consider. I would appreciate a real editorial with a person willing to put their name with the comment – without such it’s just words.
The Johnson campaign ship is taking on water and listing badly. Thousands of Winter Parkers hit “snooze” button rather than turn out and vote. Problem is that Russell and Johnson have very different visions and beliefs for our home city. It’s not a one size fits all election. Russell is very willing to bank thousands upon thousands of dollars from major land development interests and has stated that everything is on the table- including giving CPR to the original OAO and repealing the supermajority charter amendments approved by the voters themselves. Johnson has said he will not do this. When Russell tells us big buildings on Park Ave won’t happen on his watch, he’s being clever. What he doesn’t say is he’s going to put those big buildings on Lake Killarney, Orange Ave, 17-92 and W Fairbanks in the new CRA. Do you think all the WP developers gave all that money without speaking to Russell first to see where Russell stands on big development? Of course not. They’re rich, not dumb. Johnson will support none of those things. Russell does not post these truths on his insta feed.
Anonymous comments, unless they are disinterested, should not be counted as any anonymous letters that people may receive.
It is foolish from an irbanistic and architectural point of view to want or allow the development of high-rise buildings on Park Ave. The space and time that these types of buildings need could be built but giving them the corresponding urban space which would be like 0.60/1.00 miles from the aforementioned Park Ave and also that they comply with the reasonable minimum parking requirements that are not new as they were already determined a long time ago.
If high-rise buildings are allowed under current conditions, the urban space of downtown Winter Park will be lost.