Nesta\u00a0claimed\u00a0the most\u00a0general election\u00a0votes<\/a>\u00a0with\u00a03,365 (41.60%), followed by\u00a0Moore\u00a0with 2,576 (31.85%) votes. Nelson\u00a0finished third\u00a0with\u00a02,148\u00a0(26.55%)\u00a0votes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The unofficial voter turnout of 8,121 (21%)\u00a0is expected to fall\u00a0to\u00a0about half that size for the runoff election, despite a total of\u00a038,698 registered voters\u00a0in Apopka.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In an\u00a0interview,\u00a0Nesta said his strategy for the runoff will remain\u00a0largely the\u00a0same as in the\u00a0initial election, which is to be \u201cresident\u00a0focused,\u00a0resident\u00a0centric. We are here to\u00a0represent\u00a0the residents\u00a0first and foremost.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n During the runoff campaign, Nesta said he plans to continue reaching out to voters who supported\u00a0his rivals,\u00a0including\u00a0through canvassing, social\u00a0media\u00a0and phone calls.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nesta, who owns a real estate company,\u00a0was first elected city commissioner in 2022, then re-elected in 2024.\u00a0He\u00a0submitted\u00a0his resignation from commission seat 4 to run for mayor, triggering a special election, which Yesenia \u201cJesi\u201d Baron won last week with 51% of the vote.\u00a0<\/p>\n Moore, who also resigned to run\u00a0for mayor,\u00a0said she is \u201cso excited\u201d to be in the runoff\u00a0and intends to focus attention on her record, including as a school board member and county commissioner.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m happy to talk about the seven schools in Apopka that\u00a0got\u00a0remodeled,\u201d she said\u00a0of\u00a0her tenure on the school board. \u201cI always felt\u00a0you could measure\u00a0the health of the community by\u00a0what\u2019s going on in the schools\u00a0and the success of the students and the success of the neighborhood.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Moore said serving on the Alachua County Commission gave her an understanding\u00a0of development,\u00a0infrastructure\u00a0and public safety.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s clear that we\u2019ve developed too quickly for the long-term health of the community\u00a0\u2014\u00a0but they\u2019re approved,\u201d she said about Apopka\u2019s growth rate and developments\u00a0already\u00a0in the pipeline.\u00a0\u201cI\u00a0don\u2019tthink\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0so much that you could legally hold them up, but you could work with the state and the county to\u00a0expedite\u00a0the infrastructure.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0all about partnerships.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Moore\u00a0also\u00a0highlighted\u00a0her work on environmental and recreational projects such as trails and natural spaces, while contrasting herself with\u00a0Nesta.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe can\u2019t claim to be anti-development when he\u2019s approved over 10,000 homes in the last four years,\u201d Moore said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nesta said his approach has\u00a0concentrated\u00a0on balancing growth with residents\u2019 concerns.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, we need to be pro residents,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m the only elected official within our area that has pushed for a moratorium or a slowdown or\u00a0conversations of how to slow down development.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n He added that he has previously called for discussions about slowing development and said he has not accepted campaign contributions from developers.\u00a0<\/p>\n The candidates will continue to make their cases to residents during a\u00a0mayoral runoff forum, hosted by Apopka Involved Voters,\u00a0at\u00a07 p.m. Monday at Victory Church\u00a0(509 S. Park Ave.).\u00a0Residents who\u00a0can\u2019tattend in person may watch the livestream on The Apopka Chief\u2019s\u00a0Facebook page<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0YouTube channel<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The dynamics of the runoff could hinge in part on what happens to the voters who supported\u00a0Nelson\u00a0in the first round.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHistorically, when there\u2019s a runoff election, sometimes the candidate that didn\u2019t advance can have an impact if they choose,\u201d\u00a0said\u00a0Aubrey Jewett,\u00a0an\u00a0associate professor at\u00a0the University of Central Florida School. \u201cThey are the ones that have the pool of supporters that are still in play and now have to decide who they\u2019re going to vote for.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Jewett said the absence of an incumbent in the runoff makes the race harder to read, since both remaining candidates were already running as challengers to the sitting mayor.\u00a0Runoff elections also tend to attract significantly fewer voters than the\u00a0initial\u00a0round, meaning the campaigns\u2019 ability to mobilize supporters could be decisive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The cash dash\u00a0<\/p>\n According to the campaign treasurer\u2019s reports, as of March 5, Moore, who entered the race in April 2025,\u00a0had\u00a0raised\u00a0$92,436 and spent $67,021.75.\u00a0Nesta, who joined the race in November 2025,\u00a0hadraised\u00a0$15,551 and spent $12,560.99. Nelson raised $66,405.98 and spent $36,876.47\u00a0during his campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\n Moore\u2019s total contributions were the highest of the three candidates,\u00a0showing a mix of businesses and individual donors.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMy ability to raise money will also be a wonderful asset as I raise money for projects around town,\u201d Moore said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Nesta\u2019s\u00a0total contributions came from individual donors.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s funded by our neighbors, our friends, our families\u00a0\u2014\u00a0everybody that makes up our\u00a0community\u00a0is who\u00a0is\u00a0starting to contribute as big or as small as they feel,\u201d he said. \u201cEach contribution, whether it\u2019s $1 or $500, is an investment in our city\u2019s future.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n In a\u00a0Monday Facebook post<\/a>,\u00a0Nesta\u00a0criticized Moore, saying she \u201chas accepted thousands of dollars in developer-backed contributions.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In an interview, Moore defended taking developer money\u00a0and\u00a0said\u00a0she\u00a0remains\u00a0independent, citing votes\u00a0against developments\u00a0as county commissioner.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe voted for every single project that came across the agenda,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Orange](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/A1_Story-1_CHRISTINE_032026-819x1024.png\")
Photo by Dana O’Connor Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore smiles at her March 10 watch party on the front porch of her house.<\/p>\n
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