Seven former school board members endorse Moore for mayor

Teresa Sargeant

Teresa Sargeant

March 26, 2026 | 4:47 pm

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Christine Moore has received endorsements from seven former Orange County School Board members, all of whom served alongside her when she was the District 7 board member from 2008 to 2018.

Dana O'Connor

Key Points

Seven former Orange County School Board members are endorsing Christine Moore for Apopka mayor in the April 14 runoff election.
Christine Moore served on the Orange County School Board from 2008 to 2018 and currently is the Orange County commissioner for District 2.
Nick Nesta led the March 10 general election with 41.60% but no candidate received over 50%, triggering an April 14 runoff against Christine Moore.

Seven former Orange County School Board members have endorsed Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore in the mayoral runoff against City Commissioner Nick Nesta.

On Thursday, Bill Sublette (2010-2018), Linda Kobert (2014-2022), Kathleen “Kat” Gordon (2000-2020), Joie Cadle (2002-2018), Pam Gould (2016-2024), Daryl Flynn (2006-2018) and Nancy Robbinson (2008-2018) announced their support in a joint statement cited in a press release from Moore’s campaign.

All seven served alongside Moore at various points during her tenure on the Orange County School Board from 2008 to 2018, when she represented District 7, which includes Apopka.

Moore was elected to the Orange County Commission’s District 2 seat in 2018 and won reelection in 2022.

“We’re honored to have worked alongside Christine Moore on the Orange County School Board,” the former board members said. “Her unwavering dedication to our community, students, and families has always been evident. Christine has been a strong advocate for Apopka’s schools, consistently delivering real results for her district. Tough, knowledgeable, and deeply committed to public service, she has the experience to lead a city.”

The endorsements come as both Moore and her opponent, Commissioner Nick Nesta, continue to build support ahead of the April election. On Monday, Moore’s campaign announced she received an endorsement from Orange County Sheriff John Mina.

Moore previously announced endorsements from former interim Apopka City Administrator Chuck Vavrek and former Public Works Director Momtaz Barq.

In the March 10 general election, Nesta led the field with 3,365 votes (41.60%), followed by Moore with 2,574 votes (31.85%). Incumbent Mayor Bryan Nelson finished third with 2,148 votes (26.55%).

Because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, a runoff election will be held April 14.

Early voting is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 6 through April 12 at the Supervisor of Elections Office and the Apopka Community Center. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is April 2.

Polls on April 14 will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Apopka Community Center and the Northwest Recreation Complex.

Author

Teresa Sargeant

Teresa Sargeant has been with The Apopka Chief for over 10 years.

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