Election Day in Apopka is 94 days away, but the field is officially set in stone. Qualifying Week for the 2024 Apopka City Commission elections has quietly come and gone, with five candidates looking to fill the two seats.
In the Seat #3 election, three first-time candidates look to fill the open spot on the Apopka City Council - Nadia Anderson, Darryl Richardson, and Ryan Tucker.
In the Seat #4 election, it's a rematch of 2022 - Eric Mock vs. now-incumbent Commissioner Nick Nesta.
And when the eventual winners are sworn-in next year, it will mark the first time since 2016 that neither Doug Bankson nor Kyle Becker will be a member of the Council.
Bankson vacated Seat #3 to successfully run for the Florida Legislature. Becker vacated Seat #4 to run for Apopka Mayor in 2022, but won Bankson's vacated seat lin a special election. He announced earlier this year that he would not run for re-election in 2024.
It's a three-way race of first-time candidates for Seat #3 on the Apopka City Commission. Who among this group will emerge?
Nadia Anderson, who filed in September to run for the seat, is the owner of Prestige Property Consultants in Apopka. In an interview with The Apopka Voice, Anderson said her inexperience in running for elected office that may be an advantage.
"Do I have any government experience in regard to a city council member? No, I do not," said Anderson. "But neither did any of the others that have served have the experience beforehand. I do feel that most of the people that are on board... I have more experience than they had going on their board. So, I do feel that I have a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge, and I'm ready for the challenge. I think that I am the voice that Apopka needs."
Ryan Tucker was the Senior Class Vice-President and Homecoming King for the Apopka High School Class of 2003. He graduated with a BS Degree in Behavioral Science from Bellevue University in 2009 and currently runs the Orlando location for Service Partners, the largest insulation distributor in the country.
"I will do everything I can do to change the way the city approaches issues and projects," Richardson said. "Look at Camp Wewa. The city purchased it and it is not ready to be used as of today due to not being in code, according to multiple sources. This is one example. City workers are disgruntled, I hear it every day. We need to take care of the ones that take care of us."
Eric Mock was a first-time candidate against Nick Nesta in 2022 for Seat #4. And like most first-time candidates, he lost. Commissioner Nick Nesta won the special election for the vacated Seat #4 over Mock with 61.46% of the vote.
In September, Mock announced his candidacy - again for Seat #4 against Nesta.
Since his loss, Mock was appointed to the Apopka Planning Commission and has the experience of the 2022 campaign to draw on. But why run against an incumbent, when an open seat exists? Mock would have certainly been the favorite in a four-way match against Anderson, Richardson and Tucker for Seat #3.
Mock sees his campaign as a way to bring back civility to the City Council.
"I watched with interest since my campaign in 2022 the progress of the Council," said Mock. "I am running to provide a voice of reason. I believe the council has gotten off track in doing the business of the city. I look forward to my campaign and working for Apopka and its future."
Nesta filed to run for re-election in December, and like most incumbents, he will run on his record over the past two years.
"I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for re-election and my intent to continue to serve as your City of Apopka Commissioner Seat 4 representing the residents of Apopka. Should you choose, I would be honored to continue to serve another term and further my efforts and proven record of strengthening the City I love. We’ve accomplished so much during this current short term and I look forward to continuing to conquer any challenges ahead of the City of Apopka and will continue to do so while serving the City of Apopka to the best of my ability."
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