The District 4 contest is a choice between two candidates with different political experience and approaches to county issues. Republican Brian Jones and Democratic state Rep. Johanna López are seeking to succeed term-limited Commissioner Maribel Gómez Cordero. Isabella Arthur has qualified as a write-in candidate, so her name will not appear on the ballot.
Both López and Jones qualified for the open seat by Friday's deadline, alongside Arthur's write-in bid, according to floridapolitics.com. The district includes eastern Orange County communities such as Union Park, Rio Pinar and Alafaya, per the outlet's report on endorsements in the race. It also includes Avalon, Chickasaw and Waterford Lakes, and has voting pluralities of Democrats and Hispanic residents, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Growth, services and public dollars are at stake
Jones, 57, is a first-time candidate and describes himself as the underdog, the Sentinel reports. He has the Orange County Republican Party's backing. For nine years, he has led the Avalon Park Foundation; since April 2025, he has represented District 4 on the county's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Those details appear in a candidacy announcement he issued when he entered the race on October 16, 2025.
Jones's campaign profile on voterfocus.com identifies public safety, economic development, environmental stewardship and land-use planning as priorities, as well as safer mobility around schools as an early priority. He has proposed better communication between residents and county government, including an advisory network of neighborhood, business, nonprofit, school and public safety representatives, the Sentinel reports. On county finances, he says he would seek savings and inefficiencies before approving new fees to address shortfalls.
López's record and support
López, 54, is running as the Democratic candidate and brings a longer record in elected office, having served two two-year terms in the Florida House after becoming the first Hispanic person elected to the Orange County School Board, the Sentinel reports. She has picked up endorsements from Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, according to floridapolitics.com, as well as backing from the Central Florida Hotel Lodging Association and tourism-worker unions, per the Sentinel.
The candidates also enter the race with different fundraising totals. Figures cited by the Sentinel show López raised about $90,000 and had roughly $23,000 remaining, while Jones raised approximately $12,500 and had $1,750 left in his campaign account. At a League of Women Voters forum this month, they discussed county decisions involving development, revenue and community needs.
Development and county revenue divide the candidates
On data centers, both candidates expressed caution, though for different reasons, according to the Sentinel's account of the forum. López warned of potential effects on the environment, noise, water, air and quality of life. Jones said his view had changed after researching the issue and hearing the debate, and argued the county has more pressing issues to address before adding data centers.
The candidates also disagree over Amendment 3. Jones supports it; López opposed the legislation that created it, arguing, according to the Sentinel, that it could reduce funding for public safety, libraries, infrastructure and existing bond debt service. On housing, both support strategies to increase the supply of affordable units.
What county land-use review can—and can't—tell voters
Land use is one concrete area of county decision-making: Orange County Government's Sept. 29, 2026 meeting preview said the Board was scheduled to consider a land-use plan and conservation-area permit. The county's Planning Division says it checks compliance with state growth-management legislation and county ordinances related to growth and development. These sources describe general planning responsibilities; they do not spell out commissioners' authority over transportation, services or the budget. Nor do they document a data-center-specific review or rule in Orange County or nearby governments. The meeting preview concerns the Tuscana plan and permit, not a data-center proposal.
Tourism revenue is another countywide question
With tourist tax revenue reaching record heights over the past year, per the Sentinel, both campaigns have weighed in on how the money should be spent. Orange County collected a record $384.6 million in Tourist Development Tax revenue in fiscal year 2024-25, the ClickOrlando guide notes, money that has been spent primarily on the convention center on International Drive and promoting regional attractions.
López says the tourist-tax revenue should stay in Orange County. Jones favors investments that support the economy, jobs or tourism infrastructure. Both candidates, in different ways, link the funds to county cultural amenities and a strong tourism industry, the Sentinel reports. Roughly 30% of the revenue goes to Visit Orlando for marketing, ClickOrlando has separately reported. Tourist tax rates range from 1% to 6%.
A Write-In Candidate Rounds Out the Field
Arthur's write-in bid means voters will not see her name on the ballot. She has said residents deserve leaders willing to ask hard questions about decisions shaping the area's future, the Sentinel reports.
Whoever wins will serve a four-year term succeeding Gómez Cordero, who has served as District 4's commissioner since 2018, and will earn an annual salary of $135,474, according to the Sentinel. Orange County has eight commission seats overseeing local governance, zoning and community services, the candidacy announcement on natlawreview.com notes, with the current cycle including several other county races decided after this year's qualifying deadline, per floridapolitics.com's broader roundup of Orange County contests.
