Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore is facing a legal challenge over whether she met the residency requirements necessary to run for mayor of Apopka. 

Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson, who is running for a third term, filed a lawsuit Tuesday asking the Orange County Circuit Court to remove Moore’s name from the March 10 municipal election ballot, citing her continued presence at a home just outside of city limits.  

Although Moore listed her address as 75 W. Magnolia St. in Apopka in her qualification paperwork, records and photographs cited in the challenge appear to show her vehicle was regularly parked between April and July 2025 in front of her homesteaded Palm Crest Drive residence in unincorporated Orange County. 

The Apopka City Charter requires mayoral candidates to reside within city limits for at least one year prior to taking office. This would have required Moore to establish residency in Apopka by April 28, 2025, Nelson said.  

Moore listed the Magnolia Street address as her residence, a property homesteaded to City Council Seat 1 candidate Sam Ruth, according to Orange County property appraiser records. Moore continues to claim a homestead exemption on her Palm Crest Drive home. Florida law allows only one homestead exemption and one permanent residence. 

“What she is doing is illegal, which is why I have filed a lawsuit to ask for the courts to review the evidence,” Nelson said in a statement. “I believe they will see her actions have been improper as well and will remove her name from the ballot.” 

In a Wednesday statement to the Chief, Moore dismissed Nelson’s complaint and called it “false and misleading.”  

“People get sued all the time,” Moore said. “Mayor Nelson was the subject of similar criticism in 2018 after applying for annexation for his home and two other properties in his unincorporated neighborhood. Bryan Nelson did not cease his candidacy for Mayor due to complaints, and neither will I.” 

Moore said she is a 38-year resident of Orange County and Apopka whose children and grandchildren were Apopka school students. She explained her transition process involving the two addresses in question.  

“Prior to deciding to run for Mayor of Apopka I began looking for homes for purchase in the city limits,” she said. “I secured the assistance of a professional, licensed realtor. I signed a lease at 75 W. Magnolia Street and completed numerous required residency documents. By mid-July I moved with all my belongings from both the rental room and my 30-year-old property to 141 S. Central Ave. I’m in the process of filing for homestead exemption as the application window for such is January. However, homestead exemption is not required as proof of residency.” 

Nelson also accused Moore of improperly submitting her qualifying fee, saying she signed the qualifying check herself despite campaign records showing Benjamin Moore as campaign treasurer.  

State law requires candidates to submit “a properly executed check drawn upon the candidate’s campaign account.” Nelson said Section 106.11(1) of the Florida Statutes requires that the campaign treasurer or deputy treasurer sign the check.  

“Moore is neither,” the suit says.  

In her Wednesday statement, Moore maintained that her signature on the qualifying fee check was not illegal.  

“As to the check required per statute for qualifying for municipal races, it is not required that the check be signed by a treasurer,” she said. “In fact, most of the other candidates filing for the Apopka city races also signed their own checks. If it had been a legal requirement, the Apopka Clerk would have had the opportunity to cure all the signatories.” 

Moore announced her campaign for mayor last April. Former City Commissioner Nick Nesta is also vying for mayor on the March ballot, which will also feature three City Council races and seven charter amendments. 

Moore called on Nelson to focus on issues.  

“I believe Mayor Bryan Nelson should spend his time working on the myriad of serious issues facing Apopka and not resort to such bogus claims of residency against his strongest competitor,” she said. “My campaign is about slowing growth, improving infrastructure, improving downtown Apopka and the other city neighborhood centers.” 

Nelson’s suit names City Clerk Susan Bone, who supervises city elections, and Orange County Supervisor of Elections Karen Castor Dental in their official capacities as co-defendants. The complaint asks the court for an expedited decision to either remove Moore from the ballot or, if ballots are already printed, to not count any votes cast for her.  

The registration deadline for the election is Feb. 9. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is Feb. 26, and the elections office has not yet announced early voting dates. 

Editor’s note: This story has been updated.