DeSantis has tapped a sheriff’s lieutenant to fill an Orange County Commission seat just as voters are about to start choosing who should hold it for four years. Mike Crabb’s appointment fills District 2’s vacancy, but it does not end the election fight: he is still facing four challengers in a contest entering its most visible stretch.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Crabb will serve out Christine Moore’s unfinished second term, which ends in December. Moore resigned in April to run for Apopka mayor, but her bid was unsuccessful, leaving the District 2 seat vacant for weeks.
Five Candidates Are Running For The District 2 Seat
District 2 covers northwestern Orange County, including Apopka and Ocoee. The county’s official election notice lists the commission race for the Aug. 18 primary, with early voting set to begin Monday.
Crabb is running against former state representative Kamia Brown, former Orange County Democratic Party chairman Wes Hodge, Ocoee City Commissioner George Oliver III and attorney Marsha Summersill, according to The Apopka Chief. The nonpartisan field brings together law enforcement, legislative, municipal, party and legal experience in a district wrestling with growth, traffic and infrastructure demands.
Crabb Brings Law Enforcement And Business Background
Crabb is an Orange County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant who has worked for the agency for more than 30 years, while also owning The Shirt Shop USA in Ocoee. His campaign describes him as a public-safety leader and small-business owner, and his platform emphasizes infrastructure, affordability, transportation and responsible growth.
The appointment also restores the Orange County Board of County Commissioners to seven voting members, according to the Orlando Sentinel. That matters as commissioners prepare to consider proposals involving tens of millions of dollars in tourist development tax revenue and as the county moves toward a nearly $9 billion budget vote in September.
For now, Crabb has the unusual distinction of being both the appointed officeholder and a candidate asking voters to keep him there. The August primary will determine whether he wins outright or remains in the race for a November runoff.
