1. Jerry Demings | Orange County Mayor and Buddy Dyer | Orlando Mayor
3. Anna V. Eskamani | Florida State Representative, District 42
4. Maxwell Frost | U.S. Representative, 10thDistrict
5. John Mina | Orange County Sheriff
6. Eric D. Smith | Orlando Police Chief
7. Carlos Guillermo Smith | State Senator, Florida Senate District 17
8. Darren M. Soto | U.S. Representative, Florida’s 9th Congressional District
9. Kelly Cohen | Partner, The Southern Group Orlando
10. David P. Barilla | Executive Director, Downtown Development Board/Community Redevelopment Agency, City of Orlando
1. Jerry Demings | Orange County Mayor
As Jerry Demings prepares to conclude his final term as Orange County mayor, he points to steady leadership through crisis and investments designed to serve residents long after he leaves office.
Demings, Orange County’s fifth mayor and the first African American elected to the position, guided the region through the COVID-19 pandemic. His administration held 166 public briefings and helped reopen the local economy in June 2020. Within a year, the county’s unemployment rate fell from 22.6 percent to 5.4 percent.
“My law enforcement career prepared me to lead during the worst and best of times,” said Demings, who previously led the Orlando Police Department and Orange County Sheriff’s Office. “I’m not a performance politician, but one who gets things done by being proactive.”
Those experiences shaped his emphasis on public safety. Orange County increased funding for fire rescue, law enforcement and corrections, supporting competitive salaries, upgraded training facilities and low emergency response times.
Demings also considers affordable housing central to his legacy. After taking office, he convened the county’s first Housing for All task force, leading to an affordable housing trust fund and a commitment of $160 million over 10 years to help stimulate construction of 30,000 affordable units. In 2024, voters overwhelmingly approved a charter amendment protecting the fund’s continued existence.
“It was an honor to serve as the 5th county mayor and the first African American to do so.”
His administration also established the Office of Sustainability and Resiliency, committed $100 million to preserve environmentally sensitive land and advanced the Vision 2050 comprehensive plan. A medical debt relief partnership has eliminated more than $637 million in qualifying debt for more than 427,000 residents.
Demings said Orange County has struggled to shield residents from rising housing, health care, food and transportation costs. Still, he believes economic diversification and disciplined financial management have placed the county on stronger footing.
Among the decisions likely to have the longest impact, he said, are tourist development tax investments supporting arts and cultural organizations, sports venues, the Orange County Convention Center and a new film incentive program.
Before leaving office, Demings hopes to establish a framework for greater investment in ecotourism and the county’s Natural Resources Tourism Infrastructure Program. After decades of public service, his guiding lesson is persistence. “Success is not final and failure is not always fatal,” Demings said. “It is the courage to continue that counts.”
1. Buddy Dyer | Orlando Mayor
After more than two decades leading Orlando, Mayor Buddy Dyer says his legacy is rooted less in any single project than in the partnerships that helped reshape the city.
“If there is one thing I hope defines my time as mayor, it is the power of collaboration and partnerships and what can happen when a community comes together around a shared vision,” Dyer said.
First elected in 2003, Dyer has overseen significant growth and transformation. He points to the Kia Center, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, SunRail, Lake Nona Medical City and Creative Village as examples of what public and private organizations can accomplish together.
Creative Village transformed 68 acres of city-owned land into an innovation district anchored by UCF Downtown and Valencia College Downtown.
The development has created opportunities in education, employment, housing and business while extending downtown’s reach.
“No one person or organization builds a city,” Dyer said.
Dyer considers downtown Orlando both a defining achievement and unfinished work. His administration is advancing projects that include converting major streets to two-way traffic, building The Canopy under Interstate 4, supporting Westcourt and improving Lake Eola Park. Investment in city venues and the surrounding sports and entertainment district is also intended to make downtown more inviting for residents, families, businesses and visitors.
His leadership style has evolved as his tenure has lengthened. Dyer said effective leadership requires hiring capable people, giving them authority and supporting their decisions. His role, he said, is to listen, establish a vision, remove obstacles and provide the resources city employees need to succeed.
“There is no room for complacency in this job,” Dyer said. “Every day brings a new challenge.”
Among his most personal remaining priorities is completing a permanent Pulse Memorial. Dyer said it must honor the 49 people killed, support survivors and families, and reflect the compassion Orlando demonstrated after the tragedy.
“The memorial needs to be a place where people can reflect, remember and heal,” he said.
When his time in office ends, Dyer expects to remain involved in the city. He also hopes for more time with his family, especially his grandson, Forrest. He has joked that his next career could be driving a Zamboni part time at the Kia Center for the Orlando Solar Bears.
“As a native, Orlando is a big part of my life,” Dyer said, “and I will always find a way to be present and contribute to my community.”
3. Dr. Anna V. Eskamani | Florida State Representative, District 42
Dr. Anna Eskamani sees Central Florida’s affordability crisis as a widening divide between what residents earn and what daily life costs.
Born and raised in Orlando in a working-class immigrant family, Eskamani watched her parents work multiple jobs while struggling to make ends meet. She now sees families confronting similar pressures involving housing, insurance, utilities, child care and transportation.
“The gap between Orlando’s median salary and what it costs to live here just keeps moving farther and farther apart,” she said.
Eskamani supports using public land for affordable and workforce housing, reforming zoning and parking requirements, accelerating permitting and concentrating development near transit. She also advocates strengthening Lynx, connecting SunRail to Orlando International Airport and diversifying the region’s economy beyond traditionally low-wage industries.
“Leadership is measured by what continues after you leave the room.”
Although Orange County’s rural boundary and Vision 2050 provide a framework for managing growth, Eskamani said transportation infrastructure continues to lag. Central Florida needs better buses and trains, safer pedestrian routes and alternatives to driving.
Her proudest recent accomplishment was bipartisan drowning-prevention legislation that expanded water-safety education for new parents. The law took effect July 1.
“This law will save lives,” she said, adding that its passage demonstrated how lawmakers can find common ground.
Eskamani’s leadership philosophy was influenced by the late John Hitt, former president of the University of Central Florida, where she earned three degrees.
4. Maxwell Frost | U.S. Representative, 10th District
Maxwell Alejandro Frost believes Central Florida’s growth must be measured by whether longtime residents can afford to remain.
“The biggest issue facing Central Floridians is that it’s too expensive to live here,” Frost said. Housing, grocery and health care costs are making it harder for working families to build stable lives even as the regional economy expands.
The Orlando Democrat rejects what he calls a “politics of scarcity” that pits public priorities against one another. He supports greater investment in housing, education, transportation and health care, along with eliminating hidden rental fees, combating corporate price-fixing and lowering prescription drug costs.
Growth has brought opportunity, Frost said, but it has also strained the region’s infrastructure, worsened traffic and placed pressure on wetlands and natural areas. He advocates building attainable housing, strengthening renter protections, expanding public transit and concentrating development where infrastructure already exists.
Over the past year, Frost helped secure $13.4 million in federal funding for Central Florida projects. The investments include $3 million to expand shelter space for women and families experiencing homelessness, $750,000 toward a permanent home for IDignity and $850,000 for a Pine Hills innovation center supporting entrepreneurship, job training and small businesses.
“Washington may be chaotic, but we’re doing the work to champion the needs of Central Floridians and bringing resources home,” he said.
Amid political divisions, Frost sees affordability as common ground.
“I don’t think the fight is Democrats versus Republicans,” he said. “It’s people versus the problems that are making it harder to get by.”
5. John Mina | Orange County Sheriff
As Central Florida’s population continues to surge, Orange County Sheriff John Mina is focused on ensuring public safety keeps pace — while warning that potential property tax changes could make that job more difficult.
Mina points to Amendment 3, a November ballot measure that would reduce property taxes for Florida homeowners, as one of the region’s most consequential issues. He cautions that resulting budget reductions could lengthen law enforcement response times, limit road repairs and stormwater services, and shift greater control of local budgets to Tallahassee.
“Voters should educate themselves on the potential impacts of Amendment 3,” Mina said.
Despite those concerns, Mina says the Orange County Sheriff’s Office is expanding its ranks, training, and technology to address growth and emerging crime trends. The agency is hiring hundreds of deputies annually to offset attrition and meet rising demand. Its communications center is also fully staffed for the first time in recent history, helping reduce response times.
Those investments have accompanied significant reductions in crime. Orange County recorded a 25 percent decline in homicides and a 15 percent decrease in overall crime in 2025. Through 2026, overall crime was down 29 percent year over year.
Mina credits the agency’s deputies and staff, whose central mission, he said, is keeping the community safe.
Yet public safety challenges extend beyond traditional policing. Mina believes homelessness associated with mental illness and substance abuse deserves greater attention. The Sheriff’s Office has expanded its Behavioral Response Unit since its 2020 launch, connecting people with treatment and other services, but Mina stresses that law enforcement cannot solve the problem alone.
As Orlando grows, he also sees persistent weaknesses in service-industry wages, transportation, and affordable housing.
6. Eric D. Smith | Orlando Police Chief
As Orlando grows, Police Chief Eric D. Smith is focused on ensuring the city’s public safety resources keep pace.
Attracting residents, businesses, visitors and major events creates additional demands for law enforcement. Meeting them, Smith said, requires continued investment in officers, training and technology, along with strong partnerships between police and residents.
“Public safety is a shared responsibility, and we are most effective when law enforcement and the community work together,” Smith said.
Smith points to continued reductions in violent crime and shootings as among the Orlando Police Department’s most significant accomplishments of the past year. He credits officers with remaining proactive in neighborhoods and downtown.
The department also launched its Drone First Responder program, which can deploy a drone to an emergency before officers arrive. The technology provides real-time information, helps officers assess threats and, in some cases, determines what is happening before personnel reach the scene.
“This is a great example of how we are using technology to make our officers more effective and our community safer,” Smith said.
He sees the program as a model for faster, better-informed responses as Orlando grows. Recruiting and retaining high-quality officers will remain equally important.
Mental health is another concern. Officers frequently encounter people experiencing crises when no crime has occurred. Although police respond when someone needs help or poses a threat, Smith believes the community needs greater access to mental health services and long-term treatment.
Smith cites Mayor Buddy Dyer as a leadership influence, particularly for his consistency, collaborative approach and commitment to public safety. Those lessons reinforced Smith’s belief that effective leaders must make difficult decisions, support their people and remain focused on the mission.
7. Carlos Guillermo Smith | State Senator, Florida Senate District 17
State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith is adamant Central Florida’s future depends on stronger transportation infrastructure, broader access to lifesaving health care and policies that protect the region’s most vulnerable residents.
Smith says connecting SunRail to Orlando International Airport should be a regional priority. Accomplishing that goal, he said, will require a dedicated public transit funding source and changes to state law allowing tourism development taxes to supplement transportation investments. Such changes could help create a more connected region while giving residents and visitors practical alternatives to increasingly congested roads.
“Connecting SunRail to Orlando International Airport should be a regional priority.”
His most consequential achievement of the past year came through health care advocacy. Smith helped lead a bipartisan Senate coalition that restored access to lifesaving HIV medications for more than 12,000 Floridians through the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. Securing more than $100 million to reverse state budget cuts, he said, saved lives while underscoring the importance of maintaining the program.
Smith has also focused on preventing childhood drownings. Florida leads the nation in fatal child drownings, with many occurring in Central Florida, including at unregulated vacation rental properties.
During the 2026 legislative session, Smith helped pass Senate Bill 428, which requires drowning-prevention education for new parents after childbirth and expands eligibility for Florida’s swim lesson voucher program to children ages 1 through 7. More than 10,000 vouchers are now available statewide to eligible low-income families.
“But every drowning is preventable,” Smith said. He plans to continue pursuing consistent water-safety regulations designed to prevent additional tragedies across the state.
8. Darren M. Soto | U. S. Representative, 9th District
Darren Soto continues to use bipartisan relationships and his position on the House Energy and Commerce Committee to advance Central Florida’s transportation, infrastructure, health care and environmental priorities.
In 2026, Soto remained focused on protecting health care and food-assistance programs while pursuing federal support for roads, airports, water projects and passenger rail. He continues to champion the proposed Sunshine Corridor, which would connect SunRail with Orlando International Airport and the region’s tourism district.
“We are going to continue to strive to give Central Floridians choices and improve traffic,” Soto said.
Representing communities in Orange and Osceola counties, Soto works at the intersection of rapid population growth and increasing demand for transportation, affordable housing and public services. His district also includes a large tourism workforce and one of Florida’s most significant Puerto Rican populations.
Soto has made collaboration central to his approach, working across party lines to secure investments and advance regional projects. His committee assignment gives Central Florida a voice in national debates involving energy, telecommunications, health care, technology and consumer protection.
As Florida’s first congressman of Puerto Rican descent, Soto remains a prominent advocate for Central Florida’s Hispanic communities and Puerto Rico.
“These bipartisan partnerships are critical to getting major projects and goals over the finish line for our community,” he said.
9. Kelly Cohen | Partner, The Southern Group Orlando
Kelly Cohen’s influence is especially significant in 2026 as Orange County voters prepare to reshape local government through pivotal elections and an expanded County Commission.
A lobbyist, strategist and fundraiser, Cohen connects businesses, elected officials and community organizations to move major initiatives forward. During more than two decades in Orlando, she has helped build support for projects involving NeoCity, SunRail, Medical City, UCF Downtown and Orlando City Soccer Club.
“Strategy is my foundation, but relationships are my superpower,” Cohen said.
Those relationships allow Cohen to bring together stakeholders who may approach an issue from different perspectives but share an interest in Central Florida’s success. Her work often takes place outside the spotlight, translating ambitious ideas into coalitions capable of navigating government processes, securing investment and building public support.
Cohen is also focused on strengthening Orlando’s position in semiconductors, defense technology, artificial intelligence and entertainment. She sees those growing industries as opportunities to diversify the economy, attract high-wage jobs and connect local businesses and workers with emerging career paths.
At the same time, Cohen believes growth must remain collaborative and inclusive. Her influence extends beyond client representation through civic involvement, political fundraising and partnerships supporting community initiatives.
“I see government affairs as a platform for driving meaningful, lasting change, connecting ideas to action and people to opportunity,” she said.
10. David P. Barilla | Executive Director, Downtown Development Board/Community Redevelopment Agency, City of Orlando
David P. Barilla sees downtown Orlando entering a period of generational change, driven not by a single development but by a broad mix of new businesses, housing and investment in public spaces.
As executive director of the Downtown Development Board and Community Redevelopment Agency, Barilla has helped build momentum across the city’s urban core. New corporate headquarters, affordable and market-rate housing, and expanding cultural and entertainment offerings are bringing more residents, workers and visitors downtown.
Through 407 Connect, the city also has helped secure housing for more than 100 of the community’s most vulnerable residents.
“I think we’re in the midst of generational change and progress in Orlando, and we all have a front-row seat to it,” Barilla said.
He believes Central Florida has excelled at attracting investment, creating jobs and giving people compelling reasons to make the region their home. The challenge now is ensuring that continued growth does not diminish the qualities that attracted them.
“We need to continue creating great places, expanding housing choices and investing in our neighborhoods while preserving the sense of community and quality of life that brought so many of us here in the first place,” he said.
Barilla also sees shared local priorities — including safe communities, strong schools, economic opportunity and affordable housing — as opportunities to bridge political divides.
