Dana O'Connor
Key Points
- Orange County Sheriff John Mina endorsed Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore for Apopka mayor ahead of the April 14 runoff election.
- Moore received endorsements from former city officials and focuses on public safety and law enforcement funding.
- The mayoral runoff between Moore and Nick Nesta follows the March 10 election where no candidate secured over 50% of the vote.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina has announced his endorsement of Orange County Commissioner District 2 Christine Moore in the upcoming mayoral runoff election.
“Christine Moore is the kind of leader Apopka needs right now,” Mina said in a press release from the Moore campaign. “I trust Christine to put Apopka first, support our first responders, and ensure this community continues to be a safe and thriving place to live. That’s why I’m proud to support her for Mayor of Apopka.”
Moore, who is in a runoff against City Commissioner Nick Nesta, was elected District 2 commissioner in 2018, then re-elected in 2022. She previously served on the Orange County School Board representing District 7, which includes Apopka.
“I’m grateful for the endorsement by Orange County Sheriff John Mina,” Moore said in a Tuesday statement to The Apopka Chief. “The Sheriff validated my strong commitment to adequate funding of law enforcement and the safety of the officers and entire community. Nothing is more sacred to me than public safety.”
Previously, Moore announced the endorsement of Apopka’s former interim City Administrator Chuck Vavrek and former Director of Public Works Momtaz Barq.
In the March 10 general election, Nesta received 3,365 votes for mayor (41.60%), while Moore placed second with 2,574 votes (31.85%). Incumbent Mayor Bryan Nelson came in third with 2,148 votes (26.55%).
Because no one reached 50% of the vote in the March 10 general election, a runoff election is set for April 14.
On March 13, Nelson and Moore announced a collaborative agreement to help Moore win the runoff. To this end, Nelson announced he would drop his residency lawsuit against Moore because he “wanted her to be in the play for the runoff,” he told the Chief.
Key issues in the runoff have included the pace of development, government transparency, infrastructure, public safety, and parks and recreation.
Moore and Nesta debated in a runoff forum on Monday at Victory Church in downtown Apopka. The Apopka Involved Voters, a community group seeking to inform community voters on current and emerging issues that could impact them, organized the forum, which the Chief live streamed on Facebook.
Voters may cast their ballots between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. from April 6 through April 12 at the Supervisor of Elections Office and the Apopka Community Center. Apopka residents have until April 2 to ask for mail-in ballots.
The April 14 runoff will have two precincts, the Apopka Community Center and the Northwest Recreation Complex. Both polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.