Apopka Mayor early voting starts this week as more personal accusations fly

Early voting begins this week ahead of the April 14 Apopka Mayor runoff election that has grown increasingly ugly due to personal attacks.

Apopka residents are deciding between Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore and Apopka Commissioner Nick Nesta, who advanced to a runoff after no clear winner emerged in last month’s election. 

Neither Nesta nor Moore won a majority of the vote in the three-way contest, leaving incumbent Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson in third place and out of contention. Nesta received about 42% of the vote compared to Moore’s nearly 32%.

Nelson has since endorsed Moore, even though Nelson unsuccessfully sued to throw Moore off the ballot. Nelson accused Moore of living in unincorporated Orange County rather than within the Apopka city limits, which he said prohibited her from running. Moore argued she met all the requirements to run. 

But the Orlando Sentinel reported that Nelson also has bad blood with Nesta. Nesta accused Nelson’s wife of pushing him two years ago and filed a police report against her. No charges were ever filed against Nelson’s wife, the Sentinel reported in a story Monday.

According to the Sentinel, the issue started when Nesta read Deborah Nelson’s home and personal email addresses into the public record during a 2024 City Commission meeting. That led to a confrontation afterward, during which Nelson said Nesta wasn’t listening to her, so she poked him in the chest to get his attention. Nesta said she pushed him twice.

“It boggles my mind that anybody would do that,” Bryan Nelson said about Nesta, according to the Sentinel. “But here we are. We’ve got somebody who could be the next Mayor. That’s the way he operates.”

Early voting runs April 6-12 at the Apopka Community Center located at 519 S. Central Ave. in Apopka. Hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

On weekdays (April 6-10), early voting will also be available at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office located at 119 W. Kaley St. in Orlando. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For those waiting until Election Day to vote, polls are open on April 14 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

“As Apopka heads into its runoff election, we encourage every eligible Apopkan to take part in the way that works best for them, whether that’s voting early, by mail, or on Election Day,” Orange County Supervisor of Elections Karen Castor Dentel said in a statement.

“This is a meaningful moment for the community. We want voters to feel confident using whichever option is most convenient for them, and our office is here to make sure the process is straightforward, secure, and accessible from start to finish.”