Yesenia Baron is running for Seat #4 on the Apopka City Commission.
From Staff Reports
In Summary:
Vice Mayor and incumbent Commissioner Diane Velazquez will defend her Seat #2, extending more than a decade of public service, including prior council terms and experience on the Orange County Planning and Zoning Commission. Retired law enforcement officer and community advocate Yesenia Leon-Baron has declared her candidacy for Seat #4, the only open seat on the council, now vacant due to Commissioner Nick Nesta’s mayoral run, and offering a shortened two-year term. Their entries bring the total number of City Council candidates to eight, joining a crowded mayoral race and solidifying a high-stakes election cycle that begins with qualifying week, December 15–19, and concludes on Election Day, March 10, 2026.
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With just two weeks left to file and qualify to run for office, two more candidates have announced their intention to run for office.
Related: Sam Ruth challenges Alexander Smith in Seat #1, Apopka City Commission election.
Incumbent Commissioner and Vice Mayor Diane Velazquez will seek re-election to Seat #2, while Yesenia Baron announced her bid for Seat #4, the open seat vacated by Commissioner Nick Nesta, who is running for mayor.
Their filings mark the seventh and eighth candidates to run for the Apopka City Council.
Incumbent Mayor Bryan Nelson, Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore, Apopka attorney Matthew Aungst, and Commissioner Nick Nesta have all filed to run for Apopka Mayor, while former commissioner Sam Ruth and incumbent Commissioner Alexander Smith filed to run for Seat #1.
Velazquez, who has spent more than a decade serving Apopka residents on the Council, confirmed she will defend her Seat #2 in the upcoming election. Velazquez, a former New York City police detective with 21 years of service, first won a place on the Apopka City Council from 2014 to 2018. After a brief appointment to the Orange County Planning and Zoning Commission, she successfully returned to the council in 2020.
Baron is a retired FDLE law enforcement officer, project coordinator in public safety training, and longtime community advocate. She previously ran for office in a 2020 special election for Seat #2. With Nesta leaving the council to run for mayor, Seat #4 is the only open seat in this election, but it offers only a two-year term (the remainder of Nesta's). The winner will be up for re-election in 2028.
“Apopka is growing, but we must grow with purpose,” Baron said in her announcement. “Our roads, our housing, and our infrastructure haven’t kept pace. Residents tell me every day that they want a downtown they can be proud of; a place to walk, shop, and gather with their families. I’m running to ensure we plan responsibly, invest wisely, and build the Apopka our families deserve.”
Qualifying week for Apopka’s 2026 municipal election runs December 15th–19th, and all candidates must have their paperwork officially verified during that period to appear on the ballot. While prospective candidates may begin submitting documents early, they are not considered qualified until those materials are reviewed and approved within that week.
Election Day in Apopka is March 10th, 2026.
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Diane Velazquez has filed for re-election to Apopka City Council Seat #2, continuing her tenure that began in 2014.
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Yesenia Leon-Baron is seeking Seat #4, the only open council seat, after Nick Nesta vacated it to run for mayor.
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Their filings mark the seventh and eighth candidates running for the Apopka City Council this cycle.
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Qualifying week runs December 15–19, during which all candidates must have paperwork officially verified to secure a spot on the ballot.
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Election Day is March 10, 2026, featuring competitive council and mayoral contests, including four candidates for mayor and multiple challengers for other seats.
This developing story will be updated in future editions of The Apopka Voice.
