ORLANDO, Fla. — From Sheriff to city commissioner, several jobs are up for grabs as election day looms in Central Florida.
Channel 9 compiled information about each of the local candidates you’ll see on the ballot. Click each candidates' name for more information. Find out everything you need to know below.
Orange County
State Attorney ninth circuit
Worrell defeated former Chief Judge Belvin Perry and two other candidates during the primary, and now faces two write-in candidates in November.
Worrell has called herself a career “criminal justice reform” advocate. She said she wants to see less people incarcerated, overhaul the juvenile justice system and promises to hold police accountable.
Torroella has no party affiliation. He said his promise is to “fight to keep our communities safe” and “criminals will know there will be consequences for their criminal activity.”
Orange County Sheriff
Mina won the Democractic primary for Orange County Sheriff, receiving more than 50% of the vote total.
He now moves on to the general election in November to face only write-in candidates.
It would be Mina’s second term as Orange County Sheriff.
Mina will face Winston Johnson and Tim Lucas Adams as write-in candidates.
Orange County Commission
District 1
Wilson said she is a 20-year resident of Orange County and she is “committed to working tirelessly for the future” of the county.
Her plan includes clean air and water, green spaces, and sustainable transportation options.
Wilson will face Hannah Burns as a write-in candidate.
District 3
Uribe was elected more than a year ago but she is running again because the previous race was a “special election” to fill the vacant seat of her predecessor, who resigned as the commissioner.
She said her goals include keeping taxes low while ably serving the needs of Orange County neighbors, improving transportation and opportunities for all and helping businesses thrive while looking out for those who need help.
District 5
Bonilla is seeking re-election as an Orange County Commissioner.
She said her goals include “promoting the conservation of Orange County’s natural and economic resources.” She also said she works “unceasingly to protect the black bears and ban fracking in Florida.”
Orange County School Board
District 4
Gould was elected to the Orange County School Board in 2012. She has lived in the area for more than 30 years.
She said has advocated for the district and state’s education system to create critical pathways to careers while maintaining academic opportunities.
She also has worked with support staff and health care partners to help children balance learning, social and emotional needs.
Prince graduated from the University of Florida and the University of South Florida. He later joined the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Public Health Service after graduating from college.
He was an Orange County Public School Administrator and Central Florida college professor.
He said he “will continue to work within the community and help raise the voices of students, teachers and parents to make sure they are heard.”
District 5
Felder is a lifelong resident who lives in the Washington Shores community. She has been a teacher in Orange County for 39 years.
Her platform includes reducing the procedure of testing and “encourage training throughout the school year for innovative digital learning that is not intimidating to teachers or students, especially for ESE students and ELL students.”
District 6
Karen Castor Dentel (incumbent)
Dentel was elected to the Orange County School Board for a two-year term in August 2018. She was a teacher and has worked in both Orange and Alachua counties.
She was also elected to the Florida Legislature where she was a big proponent of fairness for public schools and fought for full funding for our students.
District 7
Melissa Mitchell Byrd (incumbent)
Byrd was elected to represent District 7 on the Orange County School Board in 2018. She was an elementary school teacher in Seminole County and a substitute teacher in Orange County schools.
She serves on the Community Action Board for Orange County Government, the Apopka Community Advisory Council for AdventHealth Apopka, and the Wekiva Culinary Program Advisory Council.
Osceola County
Osceola County School Board
Melendez is a small business owner, a soldier and a former school board member. He was elected as Vice Chair of the Osceola County School Board.
He wants to increase teacher morale, plan the county’s growth in a strategic manner and increase transparency and accountability within the district.
Santos said she has dedicated part of her life in serving the public school community as a volunteer, working as a cafeteria attendant and as a substitute teacher.
She wants to increase mental health resources, to promote a deeper connection with parents and increase family involvement, to expand art programs and advocate for teacher’s and support staff members salary increase.
Kissimmee City Commission
Castano has been a real estate professional for over 15 years. She said she aims to empower families in achieving the American Dream.
She believes that “a successful business community starts with participation from nonprofits, churches and local families to help provide economic opportunity for people to work, play, and forge a prosperous neighborhood.”
Ortiz has been a real estate agent for 23 years, and has worked in downtown Kissimmee for the last 15 years.
He wants bring more affordable housing to the city. He also wants to bring more jobs to the city by “focusing on recruitment of new companies and economic development by focusing on things such as renewable energy.”
Hardee has worked in technology management for 28 years.
He is a member of the City of Kissimmee Fire Pension Board and has spent more than 10 years as a Kissimmee Utility Authority Board Member.
He wants to create economic development and educational programs, increase public safety and increase the number of city parks and natural greens spaces in the city.
Seminole County
Casselberry City Commission
Hufford has lived in Casselberry for more than 40 years. He was the Vice-Mayor of Casselberry and a commissioner.
He said his “involvement in the community, the board appointments from city to county levels and small business consulting has helped me to formulate and encourage the city to always keep the citizens foremost while balancing a healthy economic development and lifestyle for our community.”
Albritton said he is running to “ignite our local economy, sustainably develop for all and improve transparency and inclusion in our city government.”
He wants to promote Florida-friendly development, improve the quality of service of Casselberry Utilties and make more opportunities for small businesses.
Volusia County
Volusia County Council Chair
Brower has lived in Volusia County since he was 3 years old. He moved from Daytona Beach to DeLeon Springs in 1982.
He has worked in the agriculture industry since 1979 as a nursery manager, recruiter helping others find employment, sales and marketing manager, and now a business owner, organic farmer and permaculture designer.
Denys has lived in Volusia County for more than 30 years. She has spent the last 7 years as the District 3 representative on the Volusia County council.
She was elected and served on the Volusia County School Board from 1994-1998.
Volusia County Council Member District 4
Bonarrigo lives in Ormond Beach.
She is a small business owner of CJ Manufacturing in Daytona Beach and a member of the Volusia Cultural and Arts Council.
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