{"id":375248,"date":"2026-08-19T03:36:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T03:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/375248\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T03:36:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T03:36:10","slug":"cochran-unseats-petrosky-from-district-5-county-commission-seat-fort-myers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/375248\/","title":{"rendered":"Cochran unseats Petrosky from District 5 county commission seat – FORT MYERS"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Amanda Cochran ousted Lee County District 5 Commissioner Trish Petrosky in a universal primary between the two Alva Republicans on Tuesday in a race seen as a referendum on development in Lee County.<\/p>\n

Cochran received 55% of the vote, compared to 45% for Petrosky. Cochran received 64,815 votes compared to 53,618 votes for Petrosky. All voters in the county, regardless of party, were able to vote in the election due to there being no Democratic Party challengers for the seat.<\/p>\n

The two Alva Republicans engaged in a hard-fought primary which centered around whether voters believed Lee County has been developing too rapidly or whether voters wanted to see further controls. Cochran had positioned herself as more concerned about the impact of development projects as Petrosky took a more moderate position.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowth management was the paramount issue,\u201d Cochran said. \u201cGrowth management issue speaks to the water quality issue, speaks to the infrastructure issues, speaks to the affordability issue, speaks to the quality of like issues,\u201d Cochran said.<\/p>\n

Cochran said Tuesday\u2019s vote was about \u201cgrowth management\u201d and transparency on the Lee County Board of County Commissioners. \u201cThere has been a distance\u201d regarding transparency on the board, Cochran said. \u201cThat is the root of all of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cochran said she was proud of her \u201cgrassroots campaign\u201d which she said was about \u201cearning trust\u201d from voters.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a community effort and I am grateful for every single person who helped in this effort,\u201d Cochran said. Cochran credited the community for working \u201creally hard for citizen representation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Petrosky was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis in December to fill the seat of the late Commissioner Mike Greenwell. A former Realtor, Petrosky had worked as an executive assistant at Evangelical Christian School before her appointment by DeSantis.<\/p>\n

Cochran, who manages a realty company, had previously challenged Greenwell for his seat unsuccessfully in 2024, while winning in her own district.<\/p>\n

District 5 covers Alva, Buckingham, Lehigh Acres, Olga, and the outermost northeastern section of Fort Myers. The seat is elected by voters countywide.<\/p>\n

With no Democratic challenger, Cochran will effectively have won the District 5 race and will be seated in November.<\/p>\n

All election results are unofficial until certified.<\/p>\n


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