ORLANDO, Fla. – UPDATE: Incumbent Regina Hill earned 50.24 percent of the vote in the Orlando City Commission District 5 race as of 8 p.m. Tuesday with all precincts reporting. A 50 percent majority was needed to avoid a runoff election in the hotly contested races.
Provisional ballots have not been fully counted, meaning the results are unofficial as of Tuesday night.
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ORIGINAL STORY:
Seven candidates are in the running for Orlando City Commission District 5, which includes Parramore and part of West Orlando, in the upcoming general election.
The election will take place Tuesday, Nov. 7. If no candidate earns more than 50 percent of the vote, there will be a runoff election on Dec. 5.
District 5 includes the areas surrounding Amway Center, the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts and Camping World Stadium, and the neighborhoods of Parramore, Rock Lake, Malibu, Clear Lake, Bunche Manor, Lake Mann, Ivey Lane, Lake Sunset, the Willows and the Mercy Drive Corridor.
Below is a list of the candidates and their campaign goals. Contenders include incumbent Regina Hill and former Miss America Ericka Dunlap, among others.
Jibreel R. Ali: Ali is the president of Spring Lake Manor Neighborhood Association, vice president of the West Lakes Economic Opportunity Council, precinct committeeman and executive director of 1Community1Orlando, an Orlando local, a Florida A&M alumnus and the grandson of former Commissioner Mable Butler. His campaign goals include making body cameras mandatory for all Orlando Police Department officers, making District 5 more bicycle friendly; and creating housing options for the aging population and for the local homeless population. Read more about Ali at www.alifordistrict5.com.
Ericka Dunlap: Dunlap is Miss America 2004, founder of the Crown Jewel Foundation, a University of Central Florida alumna, the first-ever black woman to be crowned Miss Florida and a 30-year resident of District 5 who describes herself as a community leader and national ambassador. She has told local media that, if elected, she'd focus on creating local jobs, making sure constituents have their voices heard and amplifying the talents of local athletes and artists. Read more about Dunlap at ElectErickaDunlap.com.
Sarah Abuobaida Elbadri: Elbadri is an urban planner who graduated from Rollins College. She also helped to launch a bike sharing program in Orlando, served as the first campus director for The Iron Yard coding boot camp, and sat as the executive director for the SoDo Main Street program to help small businesses recover after the Pulse nightclub shooting. Her main goals include implementing a better transportation system, bringing jobs to the area, and creating safe and affordable housing options. Read more about Elbadri at www.sarahelbadrifororlando.com.
Betty Gelzer: Gelzer is a longtime Orlando resident, owner of Peabo Child Care Center in Parramore, founder of the The Inner City Neighborhood Association, a minister and a community activist. Her initiatives include public safety, job creation, safe and affordable housing, and establishing youth and senior programs. Read more about Gelzer at www.bettygelzer.com.
Cynthia Harris: Harris describes District 5 as a "community in transition to prominence." She's served on the Brownsfield Committee with the City of Orlando, Orange County Sheriff’s Crime Prevention Committee and the Black Advisory Committee at Valencia Community College, and she's a UCF alumna. Her goals include establishing more and better schools in the area, stopping human trafficking, establishing affordable housing, and establishing regular meetings with residents to make sure their voices are heard. Read more about Harris at www.electcynthiaharris.com.
Regina Hill: Hill took office in 2013 and is now seeking election for a second term. She's credited with helping to spearhead the following projects: construction for the Orlando City Soccer Stadium, revitalization of the Orlando Police Department, City of Orlando Blueprint – Turner School of Construction Job Training, Parramore Comprehensive Neighborhood Plans, Parramore Village, Community Gardens, Wells Built House Rehabilitation and Parramore Lymmo BRT Project. She's also a recipient of the President Barrack Obama Humanitarian Award and was named one of Orlando City Magazine's “50 Most Powerful Women." Read more about Hill at www.reginahill.net.
Ondria James: James is a local landscaper who aims to halt gentrification and the cycle of poverty in the area. Her agenda includes affordable housing initiatives, crime prevention, creating green spaces, support for small businesses, expanding street cleaning in the area and making public transportation more accessible. Read more about James at ondriajames.com.
For information on how to vote or how to find out if you are registered, visit CityofOrlando.net.