Apopka Involved Voters to host Orange County runoff forums 

Apopka Involved Voters will hold two Orange County runoff issues forums Sept. 21 and 22, before local vote-by-mail ballots are scheduled to be mailed Sept. 25. 

Both forums are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and expected to end at approximately 9 p.m. at Victory Church, 509 S. Park Ave., Apopka.

The Orange County mayoral runoff forum, featuring candidates Chris Messina and Tiffany Moore Russell, will take place Monday, Sept. 21. The County Commission District 2 runoff forum, featuring candidates Kamia Brown and Mike Crabb, will take place the following day, Tuesday, Sept. 22. 

The organization said the forums will give voters a chance to compare candidates’ views on issues affecting Orange County. 

“The purpose of the forums is to help voters distinguish among the candidates based on their responses to important community issues,” Apopka Involved Voters said in its announcement. “Candidates will have an opportunity to explain their vision for Orange County, discuss their priorities and describe how they would serve residents in a representative form of government.” 

The forums will be open to an in-person audience and livestreamed on The Apopka Chief’s Facebook and YouTube channels. 

“The Apopka Chief exists to help the community stay safe, cast informed votes and be a better neighbor, so co-hosting these forums is a natural fit for us,” Chief publisher J.C. Derrick said. “We’re grateful to Apopka Involved Voters and Victory Church for their partnership and looking forward to informative events featuring respectful dialogue.” 

Apopka Involved Voters has held candidate forums since 2020, including one for this year’s Apopka mayoral runoff.