The Apopka Voice 2026 Election Guide: Candidates, Debates, Voting Information, and Analysis

As Apopka voters head to the polls today, the 2026 Apopka election represents the culmination of months of campaigning, debates, and public discussion about the city’s future.

To help readers navigate that journey, The Apopka Voice has assembled its 2026 Election Guide, a collection of reporting that documents the campaign from its earliest announcements through Election Day. The guide includes in-depth feature profiles of the candidates, coverage of the mayoral and City Commission debates, explanations of how and where to vote, and analysis of the issues that have defined the race. Together, these stories provide a comprehensive look at the people, policies, and pivotal moments that shaped Apopka’s 2026 election.

Features:

Mayor

• Nesta enters mayor’s race calling for transparency, planning, and a reset at City Hall
• Moore wants to turn experience into action as Apopka's next mayor

Seat #1

• After a decade away, Sam Ruth returns to the Apopka ballot with an infrastructure-first message

Seat #2

• Angela Turner wants to be Apopka’s agent of change in the Seat 2 race
• Still Standing: After 12 years, Diane Velazquez makes her case for another term in Seat #2
• George Smith enters the Apopka City Commission Seat #2 race with a call for transparency and smarter growth

Seat #4

• Malika Harrison frames the Seat 4 bid as an extension of service, not politics
• For Yesenia Baron, Apopka’s future comes down to intention

Debates:

• Orlando Sentinel City Commission Debates
• Orlando Sentinel Mayoral Debate
• Apopka Involved Voters Mayoral Debate
• Apopka Involved Voters City Commission Debate

• Farmworker Association of Florida Debate

• WESH/Apopka Chief Mayoral Debate

Analysis

• Apopka's 2026 Mayoral Election: A lawsuit, a three-way field, and a city in transition
• The Pendulum or the Axe: Which will swing in 2026?
• As Apopka changes, its mayoral candidates must rise to the moment

Voting Details

• For details on Apopka Election Day Voting, go here.