By Reggie Connell, Managing Editor
How many of you remember the days when Apopka residents ran for office? I started as The Apopka Voice's managing editor in 2015, but it was the year before that the city's golden age of throwing their hat in the ring kicked in.
In 2014, nine people ran for three seats, including four for mayor. Diane Velázquez won as a first-time candidate in that cycle.
In 2016, six candidates ran for three seats, with Doug Bankson and Kyle Becker winning as first-time candidates.
In 2018, 10 candidates ran for three seats, with first-time candidates Alice Nolan and Alexander Smith prevailing. Five first-time candidates won their elections through three cycles, while eight incumbents took it on the chin from 2014 to 2018. At the time, I described the phenomenon as Apopka's growing pains coming off a mayor who held office for over 50 years and a City Council with over 100 years combined experience (in 2012).
As we near The Apopka Voice's 10th anniversary (December 2025), I can't help but recall those elections when our city was alive with energy, political competition, and ideas.
Remember the 2016 debates between Commissioner Bill Arrowsmith and Becker? Or Commissioner Sam Ruth and Bankson? Or the 2018 mayoral debate held at the Highland Manor before a standing-room-only crowd?
The decline of competition and civic engagement
Unfortunately, after the 2022 election, candidates running for office have dwindled, the debate about ideas and issues has slowed, and voter turnout has plummeted. Also, partially because of low voter turnout and limited competition, six straight incumbents have been re-elected. And while incumbents winning elections is typical, a lack of competition for those seats is troubling.
In 2022, Smith actually kept his seat unopposed. That should never happen again. A race with only one candidate is an appointment by default.
Elections are the heartbeat of local democracy—at least they should be. Apopka deserves better than a default ballot where voters have limited or no choices. It's not essential that first-time candidates win all the time, but incumbents should know their seat on the City Commission is not a permanent address.
Every four years, they will have to earn it.
Just to be clear, elections are not about conflict for the sake of conflict. They are about competing ideas, dialogue, and accountability. When multiple candidates run for a seat, voters are exposed to different perspectives, priorities, and solutions. Incumbents are held accountable—both good and bad—for their actions while in office. Candidates are forced to sharpen their ideas, explain their decisions, and defend their records. The result is a healthier process where the community is more engaged and better informed. Without contested races, there is no incentive for elected officials to be transparent, innovative, or responsive.
The importance of local government
Apopka, as you know, does not lack challenges. Attend a City Council meeting, and you will get a multitude of examples. Growth, development, homelessness, public safety, and economic development are but a few of the issues facing a city commissioner, and their votes throughout the year, particularly in budget season, impact thousands. These are not small issues. They deserve a robust public debate at least every four years, like the kind you get in a competitive election.
I'm not sure why, although I have given it a lot of thought, but for whatever reason, Apopka has gone from a hotbed of political discord to a community of apathy both in electoral participation and voter turnout. Perhaps too many residents feel their voice doesn't matter, or that City Hall is a world apart from their daily lives. Perhaps as the city's population increases, it creates a lower percentage of residents interested in local elections. But that shouldn't be the case. No branch of government is more important to a community's everyday life.
Who should run for office?
So, who are the residents who should run for office? Well, I'll start with public comments.
It's clear Apopka has no shortage of voices. Every City Council meeting features public commenters. Residents, local social media, and The Apopka Voice fought a battle with the administration to restore public comments to the front of meetings, and for good reason. At every meeting, several residents speak passionately about their concerns.
But public comment isn't the finish line; it's a starting point.
If you have the energy and conviction to take the microphone during City Council meetings regularly, you are already demonstrating one leadership quality. You show confidence to speak publicly, articulate concerns, and engage with the issues. That quality is part of the foundation it takes to be a candidate. So here's your challenge: if you're a frequent speaker during public comments, consider stepping forward as a candidate. Instead of just using three minutes every two weeks at a microphone to make your case, criticize the Council, or recommend an idea, put your name and vision on the ballot. Allow voters to decide whether your ideas should help shape the future of Apopka.
Another strong group of would-be candidates is those of you who have previously run for office or who have served on Council in the past. Since 2016, I count 15 of you who either served or ran for office and still live inside Apopka's boundaries. You are at the core of those who should be on the 2026 ballot. That's why I keep calling you each month asking if you are considering a run... because you should.
A third group is former City employees who have concerns, have firsthand experience with how the City is run, and would like to improve it. What better way to make your voice heard than in a campaign? Your insight into City Hall may be just what is needed.
Diversity strengthens democracy
Democracy works best when it includes diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideologies. To use a couple of phrases from the 20th century, Apopka is not a community cut from one cloth; it is a melting pot. There are longtime generational residents, newcomers, business owners, farmworkers, retirees, young families, people who can trace their origins back to the Mayflower, and immigrants. All of them deserve to see themselves reflected in the decisions of the city government.
A call to action
There are 152 days until election day in Apopka, and only a couple of months before qualifying week in December. Currently, there are three candidates running for mayor and NO candidates running for Seat #1 or #2. Yes, the two incumbents are likely to file, but that leaves two more unopposed elections!
Before that happens, let's agree to a few things:
First, there will be no more uncontested elections in which an incumbent gets a free pass from this vital process. An uncontested election is a warning that civic participation is faltering, and low voter turnout isn't far behind. Ideally, there will always be at least three candidates running for every seat.
Second, encourage those you believe are qualified to run for office to do so. Tell them you will support their campaign.
Finally, let's create a culture here in Apopka that values participation over cynicism. Running for office is not about winning every time. It's about offering ideas, fostering healthy debate, and giving voters a choice. A losing campaign is not a waste—it’s a contribution to your community that elevates issues and inspires others. However, Bankson, Becker, Smith, and Velazquez all became successful incumbents as first-time candidates.
Apopka deserves contested elections with voter turnouts well above the 20% it experienced in the last mayoral election cycle in 2022. The next chapter of Apopka's history shouldn't be written by default, but by choice. Public comments are great, but public service is more important. Real change begins at the ballot box.
