Voters in Orlando’s District 3 are gearing up to choose their next representative on the City Council Tuesday, as two longtime city commissioners said goodbye.

Just 14 votes separated Roger Chapin and Mira Tanna, both Democrats, in a 5-way contest last month. Since neither received more than 50% of the vote, they advanced to a head-to-head runoff.

Voters in the district spanning College Park, Audubon Park, Baldwin Park and Rosemont seem to be turning out in big numbers so far. More early voting and vote-by-mail ballots have been cast in the runoff than in the general election last month, data shows.

The two candidates have similar platforms, with each making the case they’re the best candidate to expand transit, build more housing and create a more affordable city.

But they do have distinct differences in their backgrounds and supporters.

Chapin, of College Park, is a longtime Mears Transportation executive who now owns his own communications business. He is the son of former Orange County Mayor Linda Chapin.

Chapin is backed by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and District 3’s incumbent commissioner Robert Stuart, as well as the police and fire unions and other business groups.

Tanna, of Rosemont, is the city’s grants manager, a civil rights activist and a former employee of the year.

Tanna’s supporters include state Rep. Anna Eskamani, the lone candidate for Orlando mayor so far in 2027, U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Orlando, and a slate of progressive politicians and organizations.

Chapin has raised $284,000 to Tanna’s $106,000, according to filings.

Polls in the district will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Monday also marked the final city council meeting for Stuart, who retired after 20 years in office, as well as District 1 commissioner Jim Gray, who served the southeast Orlando area for 13 years.

Gray was defeated in November by former state Rep. Tom Keen.

Both Stuart and Gray were honored with proclamations from Dyer as well as keys to the city.

Stuart noted his tenure spanned the Great Recession of 2008, the Pulse nightclub mass shooting in 2016 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“I’m so proud to have played a small role in this collective strength,” he said. “I’m grateful that you, our neighbors, have put your trust in me.”

Gray, the board’s lone Republican member, lauded its ability to respectfully debate and disagree. He said his district had become the city’s growth engine, citing the construction of more than 10,000 housing units in Lake Nona during his tenure, accounting for about one out of every three building permits.

“It’s been a joy, not just an honor but a joy,” he said to his colleagues. “It’s no secret that District 1 is a growth story we all share.”