Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson
From Staff Reports
In Summary:
Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson has announced that the 2026 mayoral election will be his last. A veteran public servant with nearly twenty years of experience in state, county, and city government, Nelson said he will complete the full four-year term if re-elected but ruled out serving again as mayor beyond 2030. He faces challengers Christine Moore and Matthew Aungst in 2026.
Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson confirmed to The Apopka Voice that the 2026 mayoral election will be his last. According to the Apopka Critic Facebook page, he made the announcement over the weekend that he does not plan to seek another term after the upcoming election.
Related: Apopka Residents: It's time to run for office.
Nelson, 67, said he intends to complete the full four-year term if re-elected but plans to retire from the mayor’s office upon its conclusion.
When asked whether he might run for another office in 2030, Nelson left the door open, just not as mayor.
"Never say never, but it won’t be as Mayor of Apopka," he said. "That’s a 60–70-hour-a-week job.”
Nelson is a lifelong Apopka resident who has served in public office for nearly two decades, spanning both local, county, and state levels. Before entering politics, he earned a degree in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Florida and went on to operate Nelson Insurance Services while also working in his family’s agricultural business, Nelson’s Florida Roses.
His political career began in 2006 when he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, where he represented District 31 until 2014. He later served as Orange County Commissioner for District 2 from 2014 to 2018.
Nelson was elected Mayor of Apopka in 2018 and won re-election in 2022.
Nelson faces challenges from Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore and Apopka attorney Matthew Aungst, both of whom announced their campaigns earlier this year. Moore, who currently represents District 2 on the Orange County Commission, and Aungst, a local attorney.
The election is scheduled for March 2026, with qualifying set for later in December.
Key Points:
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Mayor Bryan Nelson, 67, confirmed he will not seek another term after the 2026 Apopka mayoral election.
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Nelson said he would complete the full term if re-elected, but does not plan to remain mayor after 2030.
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Asked about future political ambitions, Nelson said, “Never say never,” but emphasized it would not be as Apopka’s mayor.
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Nelson’s nearly two-decade career includes service in the Florida House, the Orange County Commission, and two terms as mayor of Apopka.
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The 2026 race includes challengers Christine Moore and Matthew Aungst, with the election set for March 2026.
This developing story will be updated in future editions of The Apopka Voice.
