Incumbent Orange County Commissioner Nicole Wilson and newcomer Kelly Semrad, two immensely under-funded candidates committed to protecting rural communities from sprawl, won their races Tuesday, turning back challengers who were backed by big-money development interests. In a third commission race, the winner was incumbent Mayra Uribe, who has sided with environmentalists on key votes. With commanding victories for two county ballot measures tightening development controls, it added up to a big night for those seeking to contain Orange County’s growth.
“I think voters saw through the facade,” said Semrad, who defeated former Winter Park Mayor Steve Leary to succeed term-limited Emily Bonilla as commissioner in District 5. “Saying you support a rural boundary while taking all that money from developers, it doesn’t add up.” Wilson said county voters, whether Republican, Democrat or independent, care about their communities and want to safeguard them.
“We’re at a very critical junction between growth and our environment,” said Wilson, noting the landslide margin by which voters approved a charter amendment establishing boundaries between urban and rural areas. A separate measure erecting higher hurdles for cities to annex county lands also won handily. Wilson’s opponent Austin Arthur, who raised about eight times as much money for his campaign than Wilson did for hers, called to concede and congratulate Wilson on her victory.
District 3 Commissioner Uribe de.