Runoffs & recounts: What to know about Orange County’s races that are ‘too close to call’

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County voters are still waiting for the results of three primary races because they are too close to call.

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The races for county commissioner in Districts 3 and 5 are headed for a runoff because none of the candidates received more than 50 percent of the vote.

There will also be a recount for District 1 because just five votes separated the candidates.

District 1 is the largest and fastest-growing Orange County Commission district.

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Incumbent Nicole Wilson leads her challenger, Austin Arthur, in that race by just five votes.

The Orange County Supervisor of Elections says a machine recount in the District 1 race will likely happen on Friday, after the Orange County Canvassing Board officially calls for a recount.

If that machine recount shows less than ¼ of a 1 percent difference between the votes for the candidates, then a manual recount will occur over the weekend.

Read: 2024 Florida Primary: Elections results

State law said the recount needs to happen quick, and all the election results need to be certified by Aug. 28 at noon.

“We anticipate going through the night to make sure that Orange County residents in District 1 will get a final answer on who their next county commissioner will be,” said Glen Gilzean, the Orange County Supervisor of Elections.

Meanwhile, the candidates now headed to a runoff are already turning their eyes toward November.

In District 5, neither Kelly Semrad nor Steve Leary received more than 50 percent of the vote needed to secure the seat currently held by Emily Bonilla, who has been termed out.

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The same goes for District 3, where neither Mayra Uribe nor Linda Stewart cleared that threshold.

Uribe currently holds the District 3 commission seat.

She told Channel 9 she was concerned about the primary’s low voter turnout.

Only 16 percent of registered Orange County voters cast their ballot for Tuesday’s primary.

The Orange County Supervisor of election expects that number to at least triple in November because of the presidential election.

Uribe told Channel 9 she will focus on getting people to “vote down the ballot” in November and is prioritizing issues including housing, transportation, and government accountability.

“We have raised the level of expectation of what your elected official is supposed to be when it comes to taxes, when it comes to transparency and holding your government accountable,” said Uribe.

Uribe is being challenged by Linda Stewart, who served as Orange County Commissioner for District 4 from 2002 to 2010. She is finishing her most recent term as a state senator and touted her experience ahead of November.

“I am thankful to all my supporters for getting me into the runoff. The general election is a game changer in this race,” said Stewart.

Stewart couldn’t interview with Channel 9 Wednesday but said in a statement, “There is a large divide between the two of us, and that message will be explained. We ran a clean campaign, and people know me as honorable, successful, and experienced,” said Stewart.

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