Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer was reelected last night by a margin that resembles some lopsided college football games. The benefits of appearing on the ballot for over two decades and complying with the special interests in Central Florida.
But the “real ones” understand that today, Wednesday, November 8th, 2023, the true political race in Orlando begins.
That is the contest to succeed Buddy Dyer. To become the first Mayor of Orlando not named Dyer in almost a quarter of a century by 2027.
Besides Governor, I would argue that Mayor of Orlando is the best job in Florida. Look outside your window. It’s gorgeous. People are coming here everyday to experience it.
But Buddy Dyer has also done a lot of damage that we can’t see. His successor will likely have to deal with the boiling over of our affordable housing crisis that has made many families victims of a greedy real estate and property management industry (including myself). Ribbon cuttings on a couple of dozen apartments every couple of months won’t fix that.
The most compelling aspect in the race to succeed Buddy Dyer is that there are easily over a dozen lawmakers in the area I can see running for the position. And because of the political talent involved, there has become something of a bottleneck. Further aggravated by a politician who will have outlasted at least four presidents by the time he’s done.
We’ve still got a long way to go. The Mayor has an costly list of goals he wants to accomplish before he leaves and things aren’t getting less expensive.
But we’re off and every move matters to be the next elected leader of Orlando.
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