North Port's City Commission is set for a shake-up after voters narrowly elected Elaine Allen-Emrich to the District 4 seat and sent newcomer Oleg Lisitsyn to District 5, unseating four-year incumbent Phil Stokes. Allen-Emrich's win over opponent Lyudmila Dunchyk came down to just 489 votes, while Lisitsyn's margin over Stokes was far wider.
According to unofficial totals from the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections office reported by yoursun.com, Allen-Emrich received 17,058 votes, or 50.73% of the vote, to Dunchyk's 16,569. That result mirrors figures published separately by a separate YourSun election-results report, which also listed the 489-vote margin as of 8:50 p.m. on election night. The Herald-Tribune listed the District 4 matchup as Allen-Emrich versus Lyudmila Dunchyk and noted that results remained unofficial until certified.
In the District 5 race, Lisitsyn pulled in 18,806 votes to defeat Stokes, who received 15,082 — a margin the seed report put at 3,724 votes. The percentage of the vote Lisitsyn captured is reported differently depending on the source: the separate YourSun election-results report puts it at 55.4%, while the original results story gives 55.49%. Either way, Stokes's four years on the commission are over, and he said he accepted the outcome, telling voters the city would survive and move forward and wishing the incoming commissioner luck.
A Commission Already Under Strain
The incoming commissioners join a body that recently considered a complaint against City Manager Jerome Fletcher.
At a special meeting on Dec. 11, 2025, commissioners voted 3-2 not to investigate a complaint against Fletcher, according to mysuncoast.com. Duval had filed that complaint against Fletcher on Dec. 8, and a separate verbal complaint alleging Fletcher created a hostile work environment had been filed with the city's human resources department the week before the meeting, the station reported.
Who's In, Who's Out
Allen-Emrich said she was excited for the future and promised to be ready on day one and to listen to residents. She also identified concerns about water structures, flooding, and rapid growth encouraged at the state level, and said she wants to look into a data center task force. Allen-Emrich described campaigning as having become a blood sport and said some of her own supporters had been vicious during the race.
Dunchyk, who was unavailable for comment on election night, had run for office because she loves North Port and has concerns about its direction, saying many residents feel disconnected and unheard. She had aimed to serve North Port residents and spend taxpayer dollars responsibly.
Lisitsyn won the District 5 seat.
Stokes lost the District 5 race.
A City Still Growing Fast
Whoever sits on the commission inherits a city that has changed dramatically in just a few years. North Port's population reached 88,934 in July 2023, an 18.9% increase from April 2020 and a 55% jump from 2010, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures cited by wgcu.org. The outlet notes that North Port's 104.1 square miles of land area is one of the largest footprints of any Florida city, a factor that has facilitated its rapid growth.
