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These 7 candidates have qualified for Orlando’s District 5 election

By Phylicia Ashley, WFTV.com
By Phylicia Ashley, WFTV.com

ORLANDO, Fla. — The first district forum hosted by Missing Voices Missing Votes set the tone for the election.

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It was clear people living in District 5 are invested. Every seat and standing space against the wall was taken.

For the first time, these candidates were in the same room:

  • Ericka Dunlap
  • Lawanna Gelzer
  • Cameron Hope
  • Travaris McCurdy
  • Miles Mulrain Jr.
  • Shanique “Shan” Rose

Tiakeysha Ellison was not in attendance.

The forum was moderated by former State Attorney Monique Worrell.

One of the first questions posed asked the candidates about their qualifications for the office.

“I’m the only one that has worked within the city of Orlando,” Rose said.

“My policy experience separates me from anybody else in this race,” McCurdy said.

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“Advocacy believing in the community which I live in and have resided in,”Gelzer said.

They were questioned about their priorities.

“My main objective is to be transparent,” Hope said.

They also responded to the questions from the people they’re competing to represent in District 5.

One constituent asked about gentrification and the candidates’ solutions.

“Talk about gentrification,” Mulrain said. “We have a soccer stadium in the middle of Parramore.”

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“It’s something we as a community need to be far more educated on,” Dunlap said.

Arms were raised and ears were locked into responses to determine who is worthy of the seat.

Ryan Godfrey who came to the meeting to hear the candidates he didn’t get a clear stance on where candidates stood on all topics.

“What are we going to do with the environment? Without pointing fingers, one of the candidates was very incorrect,” Godfrey said.

Janet Buford Johnson wanted to know what candidates planned to do to address homelessness in the district.

“No clear answer on what they would do on the homeless situation,” she said. “It was, ‘Maybe we should do this.’ We need a precise thing.”

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