ORLANDO, Fla. – The voters of Orlando City Council District 5 will have a new commissioner while suspended Commissioner Regina Hill faces charges of elderly exploitation.
Shaniqua Rose beat Travaris McCurdy in a runoff election for the district Tuesday night, 54.49% to 45.51%, according to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections website. Turnout in the race was low — only around 8% of the 21,300-person electorate.
McCurdy and Rose emerged as the top two vote-getters in the May 20 election from a seven-candidate field, with no candidate getting over 50% of the vote. Rose, the executive director of the community redevelopment agency in Eatonville, got 24.8% of the vote while Travaris McCurdy, a former Florida representative, got 23.29%.
The race between the two has grown tense in recent weeks as questions about their records grew and the campaigns turned more negative.
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In McCurdy’s case, questions regarding arrests by Orlando police, as well as the discovery that he lied about graduating from FAMU. In Rose’s case, questions surrounding why she was fired from the city of Orlando, and new accusations Monday that Rose threatened to reveal damaging information about McCurdy if he didn’t drop out of the race.
According to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections website, turnout ended just under 9%, with the vast majority of votes coming from vote-by-mail ballots. Just over 500 people went to the polls Tuesday.
District 5 represents voters in Parramore, Rock Lake, Clear Lake, the Mercy Drive area, the Ivey Lane area, Lake Mann Estates, Malibu Groves, Timberleaf, Kirkman North and Metrowest, as well as much of downtown Orlando. You can see a map of the district on the city of Orlando website.
Suspended Orlando Commissioner Regina Hill was arrested on March 28, after a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation into whether she exploited an elderly constituent. FDLE investigators also accused her of using the power of attorney she obtained for the victim to secure a mortgage for a home, without the victim’s knowledge, and using more than $100,000 of the victim’s cash and credit cards for several purchases.
Hill denies the accusations.
Because of the arrest, Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Hill from her seat on April 1.
The city announced a special election for District 5 on April 8.
Rose will represent District 5 in the Orlando City Council through the end of Hill’s original term in 2025, or if Hill is found not guilty and able to return to her seat.
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