Orlando City Commissioner Shan Rose has dominated fundraising in the Orlando City Council District 5 race over Regina Hill, who is fighting to win back her seat after she was suspended from office.
But a third candidate, community advocate Lawanna Gelzer, entered the race late and wrote herself checks for $25,000 to jump-start her campaign, new campaign finance records show.
Rose raised nearly $22,000 from July 1 to Oct. 8. During the same period, Hill raised about $4,000 and also loaned her campaign another $3,000.
Since Gelzer officially filed Sept. 9, she is running a mostly self-funded campaign. She gave a personal loan of $20,000 last month and another for $5,000 last week. She also raised nearly $6,000 in donations.
The race features attention-grabbing headlines following Hill’s arrest and pending trial, which is not scheduled to happen before the Nov. 4 election.
Hill was the District 5 Commissioner until Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended her last year after she was arrested on elderly exploitation and fraud charges. She has regularly been the subject of an ongoing Orlando Sentinel investigation about her relationship with a woman in her late 90s. Hill is accused of taking advantage of woman after gaining power of attorney. Hill has pleaded not guilty and argued she has not done anything wrong.
“The community is more concerned about what affects them every day, and them and their lives. And they know I’m a proven leader,” Hill, a former nurse, told the Sentinel when asked about how her legal problems might impact next month’s election.
After Hill’s suspension, Rose won a Special Election last year to fill the rest of Hill’s term. Now, Rose is seeking a full term. She is a former Orlando city planner who runs a nonprofit providing social services in neighborhoods
Gelzer is the co-owner of the Peabo Childcare Center and a longtime community advocate involved in issues on environment, public health, social justice and more, according to her website.
District 5 covers downtown Orlando and other neighborhoods, including Parramore.
Orlando city voters will decide with District 1, 3 and 5 in the Nov. 4 election.